Humans Do Not Understand Mirror Reflections, Say Researchers

Physorg ^ | 12-21-2005

[Little Pig]

With the exception of various raptors, birds can't see straight ahead. They wouldn't even be aware of the "other bird" until far too late.

[JimSEA]

I know my cat hasn't figured them out

LOL Mine is still trying to find out how that ugly fat cat she sees got in the house.

[phoenix0468]

It's not really a parallel universe?

[ElkGroveDan]

Ever notice that when you look in a mirror, right is left, but up isn't down? Why is that?

If you are lying on your side it is.

[mtbopfuyn]

Oh, jeez. What I don't understand is wasting all that time and money. Brits don't understand mirrors or toothbrushes.

Mr. M's dog can't figure out mirrors, but then the dog also tries to climb trees.

[guitfiddlist]

Because they're aggressively warding off other birds from their territory. Essentially they're playing chicken with that other upstart bird in the mirror that won't back down. And they both lose.

[nuconvert]

LOL!!

[phoenix0468]

This is actually true. Left is left in the mirror and right is right. Try this little test. Look in the mirror and raise your left hand. This is the same hand that raises in the mirror. Remember the mirror world is a "reflection" not a "refraction". If the image was being refracted back to you than up would be down and left would be right.

[GSlob]

"What's to understand? I look in a mirror, I see myself."
From this you can understand that at least you are not a vampire.

[Cogadh na Sith]

What is this 'reflected image' they talk about?

People can see their reflections in those things?!

[unixfox]

Ever notice that when you look in a mirror, right is left, but up isn't down? Why is that?

Kinda goes hand in hand with that ole gravity thing. Where does it come from, and why don't we fall off the earth?

[P.O.E.]

"The black paper between a mirror
Breaks my heart that I can't go"

- Captain Beefheart

[Billthedrill]

32 feet per sec². It isn't just a good idea, it's the law.

[supercat]

So if see myself in a mirror from six inches away, I'll be the same size as if I'm 40 feet away? Exactly half my size? How about if I'm 16 miles away?

If the mirror is far enough away from you that you can see all of yourself at once, that is basically correct. There are some parallax issues at very short distances, but if you are 6' tall and two marks are placed on a vertical mirror, one 3' above the other, then if you stand so that your feet appear on the lower line (using some combination of elevation and distance), the top of your heat will appear very near the upper line, whether you are 10' away from the mirror or 30'.

[Cyber Liberty]

I suppose nobody considered the possibility that the test subjects were fine with the mirrors, but can't speak Liverpoolian?

[lawdude]

And as soon as this anomoly is corrected, ALL WILL BE WELL WITH THE WORLD!

It needed to be said.

[DJtex]

Ever notice that when you look in a mirror, right is left, but up isn't down? Why is that?

Because the mirror reverses front to back, not left to right.

[Disambiguator]

Mirror scene:

http://mp.danwho.net/index.php?id=ducksoup_mirror

[just a dude]

Weird!

I look in the mirror and see some old guy!

[Young Werther]

Do you really mean that?

BTW our eyes see the world in the "up and down" manner because our brains reverse the image which when focused on retina is upside down like the original camera obscura!!!