Camo
Here's a short article on the History of Camoflauge posted at the Tate Etc. site. The first use was on ships in WWI, and it was called "dazzle painting" and designed not to hide the boat but to confuse German U-Boat gunners. The theory being that if you saw the car above on the street you wouldn't be able to tell if it was about to run you over or if it was leaving you in the dust. For further reading check out the Disruptive Pattern Material encyclopedia.
[via IF]