Mirrors

[newtownbreda]

A mirror reverses objects from left to right.  I've often wondered why it doe not reverse up and down.

[ursula62]

Depends where the mirror is... if you were standing on a mirrored glass floor then it would reflect you from your feet upwards.

[WaldoMcFroog]

The mirror doesn't 'do' anything. It doesn't 'reverse' anything - that is to imply a mechanism that doesn't exist! It simply reflects a beam of light - a beam of light travels from the origin to the mirror and is reflected. The 'lateral inversion' you see is purely perceptive. There is no figure 'in' the mirror - it doesn't have it's own left and right - they are mapped from the beams of light travelling from an object to the mirror and then to the observer.

[Loosehead]

What Waldo said. They just reflect light, they have no conciousness.

[Clanad]

Although I'm reminded that Loosehead dislikes pedantry, I would offer that the eye "sees" upside down at the back of the retina, but the brain "rights" the image...

[Loosehead]

What has image inversion through a lens got to do with reflection?  Irrelevance is also the enemy!

[Clanad]

Anything to rub the hair backwards, I say...

[MargeB]

This is really messing with my head thinking about this thread. My chosen specialized subject is Visual Perception, but I'm not that strong on physics, so I'm lacking the physics info I need to get this one together. I do know that Clanad is far from wrong here.

I do remember reading some Martin Rees stuff about the stuff you posted in the question being a 'universe fundamental' but I'm not sure now.

[Loosehead]

Marge, clanad is right about the image inversion but that is irrelevant to this question.

[bernardo]

It doesn't reverse left/right; it only looks as though it does because it actually reverses front/back.

[gen2]

What is all the fuss about?
When you look into a mirror:
. . . the left hand side of your face is seen in the left hand side of the mirror
. . . the right hand side of your face is seen in the right hand side of the mirror
. . . the top of your face is seen in the top of the mirror
. . . and the bottom of your face is seen in the bottom of the mirror

There is no difference between how left/right is represented and how up/down is represented. Nothing is reversed so I repeat: What's thre problem?

[Loosehead]

that's what we've been saying gen, do you read the other posts?

[stevie21]

It doesn't reverse up and down because it's the same as having an ink stamp and splodging it onto a bit of paper. The print on the paper is a "mirror image" of the stamp.

If you're lying on your side looking at a mirror, then it'll reverse your head and toes.

[Peter Pedant]

 

It doesnt reverse laterality - if you label the direction East on one hand and look into the mirror - the hand will still be pointing East.

It does reverse handedness - if you look at your left hand in a mirror it is now the right hand. Handedness is not the same as direction - see above.

[JudgeJ]

What a palaver!

Stand facing somebody else:

 Your right hand is opposite their left and your left hand is opposite their right.
 No mirror is involved in this amazing "reversal".
 Neither of you has been “reversed”.
 You would not expect your head to be opposite their feet.

Can I have my diploma now please?

[Woodsz]

The interesting thing about mirrors are that you see yourself as everyone else sees you that is why when you look at a photograph most people will say� That�s a good photo of you but I don�t like the one of me

[Space]

Bernardo's answer is the best I guess...
The mirror only reverses front and back.

[stevie21]

No, Woodsz, that's just because I've got lank greasy hair, squinty eyes and bad teeth.