tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2839926602455923950.post1966605595384377139..comments2020-08-01T12:46:42.246-04:00Comments on amoeba crunch / blog: Fun With Mirror ImagesUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2839926602455923950.post-84618662676234187522012-01-09T08:03:46.830-05:002012-01-09T08:03:46.830-05:00Another way I've heard it explained is that th...Another way I've heard it explained is that the apparent reversal depends on how you choose to turn something that's facing you, if you want it to face the mirror instead. In one of the pictures, The Amoeba Crunch sign was turned on a horizontal axis to face the mirror, and in that case, it appeared upside down in the mirror (as it did through the back of the paper). When a person turns towards towards or away from a mirror, it's much easier to turn on a vertical axis than to stand on one's head, and that choice affects what we see.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2839926602455923950.post-73120013150487574322010-02-08T13:27:33.631-05:002010-02-08T13:27:33.631-05:00The mirror reversal puzzle is not so much a matter...The mirror reversal puzzle is not so much a matter of the science of light rays, optics, and the Physics behind reflection as it is a PEOPLE thing. I’d say it can best be solved by a science of human activities, a science that deals with how people interact with complicated or subtle things. The idea of “reversedness” in perceived images is far more subtle than the mere reversal of a photon trajectory. <br /><br />When people want to compare any two nearly identical objects for some subtle difference there are two common strategies they can use. These two strategies are often useful, but they are oddly contradictory.<br /><br /><br />***<br /><br /><br />In one strategy, the two objects are lined up to face in the same direction before they are compared. For instance, if two nearly identical pens are to be compared, no one I know of would ever hold one pen horizontally, the other vertically, and then proceed to compare them. People commonly want hold them facing in the same direction for such a task. <br /><br />When a person uses this strategy in the mirror situation they like to imagine themselves rotating about a vertical axis for a comparison with their image. This rotation brings them to face the same direction as their earlier image was pointing. This also requires them to mentally freeze their image as it was when they faced the mirror. When ALL this is done, the Left/Right reversal is obvious. <br /><br />It can get a little complicated, but many people seem to have the mental circuitry to perform all this in a near subconscious flash of imagery. Verbalizing it is far more difficult and hardly anyone can hold on to the images long enough to do that.<br /><br /><br />***<br /><br /><br />The second common human strategy for dealing with complicated situations, is to freeze EVERYTHING, avoid disturbing the scene, and look at the situation “as is” in order to perform an analysis of the subtle differences between two objects. This is the classic Sherlock Holmes approach to a crime scene.<br /><br />In the mirror setup, performing this “as is” strategy means NOT rotating anything at all before doing the comparison between image and object, and the Left/Right reversal fails to show up. Instead, a Front/Back reversal is apparent in this “as is” comparison.<br /><br /><br />***<br /><br /><br />Of the two strategies, the second is FAR simpler. The first is almost too complicated to be done mentally, and it’s often impossible to document in any way. Yet, it can happen in a flash of mental imagery, only to fade as soon as words are brought in to capture it. <br /><br />Often a person, deep in the throws of the mirror riddle, will drift from one strategy to the other subconsciously. This is often described as “magical” by those who delight in that sort of thing, while others will literally complain of the headache it causes them. <br /><br />When each strategy is carefully thought through, ONE AT A TIME, clarity results. <br /><br /><br />***<br /><br /><br />It’s unlikely, but it might possibly occur to a gymnast to apply the first strategy by rotating about an horizontal axis, instead of the vertical in order to face the same direction. This means performing a hand stand to face in the same direction as the earlier frozen image, and then Up and Down would be seen to be reversed. But who is prone to do this difficult action or even to imagine it? And not only is it difficult, but it risks injury and even seven years of bad luck if the mirror is broken? <br /><br />So, it’s not the mirror that does any reversing of perceived images, it’s people who do that by their selection of strategies. The three strategies mentioned “reverse” all three dimensions: Left/Right, Front/Back, and Up/Down. Mirrors reverse the direction of light rays, but people decide how they are going to compare image to object. <br /><br /><br />***<br /><br />I’ve been examining, collecting and analyzing answers to this riddle for many years. It’s been puzzling people for centuries. Even Nobel physicist Richard Feynman has tried his hand at it, and failed, in my opinion. Recently I set up a website to discuss this subject at length. <br /> <br />Please visit me at: http://mirror-reversal.proboards.com<br /><br />Thanks,<br /><br />MikeOMikeOhttp://mirror-reversal.proboards.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2839926602455923950.post-64914649680217823392009-12-10T00:35:36.178-05:002009-12-10T00:35:36.178-05:00I like this, it took me a moment to realize that, ...I like this, it took me a moment to realize that, in the first image, "AMOEBA CRUNCH" looks the same both on the real sheet and in the reflection. Cool!<br /><br />I remember reading on Wikipedia (in the article "List of common misconceptions") that mirrors don't flip right-to-left, they flip back to front. I didn't get that until I considered the question, "Why don't mirrors flip up-to-down?" As I thought, I realized, "...Because...they flip BACK-TO-FRONT! OMG, I GET IT!" It was a total eureka moment. And the image helped me make sense of it. Thanks!Scarletnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2839926602455923950.post-77645127725182757692009-12-03T04:30:02.061-05:002009-12-03T04:30:02.061-05:00This is an interesting article, something I always...This is an interesting article, something I always wondered about myself considering it is just a flat sheet of glass in all directions. A good explanation.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2839926602455923950.post-70746618464207414212009-10-24T11:34:53.016-04:002009-10-24T11:34:53.016-04:00This is correct. Mirrors DO NOT reverse the objec...This is correct. Mirrors DO NOT reverse the object, rather they present it to the observer, who in the act of seeing, reverses it. It is the eye's or camera optics which reverse images, not mirrors. In a mirror my right arm is still in the same relative position - on the right. My head is atill at the top. It is rather amazing actually that so few ppl seem to have noticed this.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com