negative refraction hits visible spectrum

The gee-whiz:

The race to build an exotic material with a negative refractive index for visible light has been won by a team of researchers in Germany. The demonstration could open the door to a new generation of optical devices such as superlenses able to see details finer then the wavelength of visible light.

The aw-shucks:

For now, Dolling is concentrating on studying the new effects rather than attempting to build devices such as superlenses. These applications are still a long way off, he told New Scientist.