Pendry (centre) nearly seen accepting his prize
The physicist who proposed the idea of an “invisibility cloak” has failed to appear to receive the Newton Medal, the highest honour of the UK’s Institute of Physics. Imperial College’s Professor Sir John Pendry had been awarded the medal for his work on cloaking and stealth camouflage, but despite assuring organisers he would attend, when the presentation ceremony began he was nowhere to be seen. Some guests swore they could hear someone trying to attract attention in the background, but all attempts at searching were in vain.
This is not the first time Professor Pendry has mysteriously gone absent from an important event. A few months ago he was due to speak at a meeting of the Government’s special committee on scientific matters, but his chair remained empty thr0ughout the session, despite organisers having the odd feeling that they were being watched.
Officials at today’s award ceremony were mystified as to how the inventor of the invisibility technology used in stealth aircraft could just disappear. “It’s as if the guy who invented invisibility has just disappeared,” lamented a spokesman. “We’re at a loss. You know, invented invisibility, and we can’t see him. What could be going on there?”
Journalists from the Evening Harold tracked Professor Pendry down at his Penge cottage and asked him whether he’d used his invisibility technology to avoid being seen at the ceremony. “No,” he explained. “I just couldn’t be fucking bothered to turn up.”
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