Flip a switch and make something disappear? It’s been the stuff of science fiction for decades. Now, two Duke University scientists and their colleagues have built the world’s first device to render an object invisible.

At least, it’s invisible to microwaves.

But researchers say the work demonstrates that, in principle, objects could be made to disappear from radar, cameras, and other detection devices. The trick? A new class of engineered substances called metamaterials.