Talk:1145: Sky Color - Revision history

81.179.199.253 at 01:14, 8 February 2026

2026-02-08T01:14:21Z

141.101.99.144 at 22:52, 11 September 2024

2024-09-11T22:52:13Z

108.162.249.76: Agreed with comment that was aimed at clarifying the mirror questions

2017-11-05T22:33:06Z

Agreed with comment that was aimed at clarifying the mirror questions

AmbroseChapel at 01:22, 4 September 2017

2017-09-04T01:22:29Z

Davidy22: Ye olde IP who can't read

2015-08-15T23:27:33Z

Ye olde IP who can't read

188.114.106.101 at 14:51, 15 August 2015

2015-08-15T14:51:39Z

108.162.210.177 at 23:53, 22 June 2015

2015-06-22T23:53:18Z

Davidy22 at 02:05, 29 September 2014

2014-09-29T02:05:52Z

108.162.215.94: Simple explanation for the mirror conundrum.

2014-09-28T01:41:18Z

Simple explanation for the mirror conundrum.

Davidy22 at 00:12, 26 December 2013

2013-12-26T00:12:31Z

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	*In actual Higher Education, we were "Freshers"... though not sure that was used beyond the first term (we were so new that we were asking if you needed e-stamps for the e-mail, and many other pre-"Eternal September" things that happened mostly ''just'' in the September (maybe October too). I suppose the situation of "I'm in the first year (of my degree)" might have meant we were "first years" again, but I actually can't remember (four decades back!) apart from an obvious digit on the library card...		*In actual Higher Education, we were "Freshers"... though not sure that was used beyond the first term (we were so new that we were asking if you needed e-stamps for the e-mail, and many other pre-"Eternal September" things that happened mostly ''just'' in the September (maybe October too). I suppose the situation of "I'm in the first year (of my degree)" might have meant we were "first years" again, but I actually can't remember (four decades back!) apart from an obvious digit on the library card...
	...for what it's worth. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.99.144\|141.101.99.144]] 22:52, 11 September 2024 (UTC)		...for what it's worth. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.99.144\|141.101.99.144]] 22:52, 11 September 2024 (UTC)
		+
		+	Rewritten the "text reflected in a mirror" paragraphs to be more precise. Also of note (though is to much to add there) is a slightly different scenario, exemplified by the last time I went to get my hair cut. The barbers' chairs are lined up against a wall perpendicular to the front window, which prominently displays the business's prices (for Gents ''and'' Ladies basic haircuts, and it being slightly more for any lady) in a transparency overlay on the window, to be read from the outside. Which means that looking out of the window from the inside, the text is backwards (left-right reversed, because obviously the top of the text would be the top of the text ''either side'' of the window).
		+	<br/>But sitting inside in a position (towards the rear of the 'shop' whereby the wall-mirrors reflect the windows), you can read the text 'normally' from the inside. This is because the mirrors ''still'' reflect 'in-out' to the mirror, but this 'in-out'ness corresponds to left-right for the window (from my vantage-point), so unreverses that reversal. That which is more left or more right to the mirror (i.e. things inside and things outside the window) are still positioned the same 'way' (the image of them is proportionally either nearer or further away from you, a mark on the outside of the window that is obscured by the fully opaque bits of writing is still 'beyond' the writing, you're not seeing it as if it's now ''this'' side of the window, as if having flipped the window through itself because of magical 'left-right' mirroring as far as the mirror is concerned).
		+	<br/>That's only because the mirror is on the (perpendicular) wall. If it was on the also perpendicular-to-window ceiling (or floor) then the in-out-flip would be in ''your'' (and the window's) up-down perception, and the (reversed) writing would still have the start of the advertising text to the right and the end of the advertising text to the left, but now ''also'' the top of the actual text is at the bottom of the image of the text, and vice-versa. Which gives you the effect of 'strictly right way round text, but ''rotated'' upside-down'. (Or, if either the window-text was installed upside down or you made yourself do a hand-stand/similar, it would look exactly ok again in the reflection.
		+	<br/>If there was a mirror on the ''back'' wall of this place, then you could have looked into that (facing further into the shop from wherever in the middle of it you stand, away from the window) and again see the window-text as normal, as you would if you looked ''through'' the window from the outside, at the mirrors on the back wall, to look at the text that (as well as being entirely the right way round in the initial view) continues to appear to be the right way round by looking at this reflection of the inside of the window. Here, you have made the window be reversed (in-out) by dint of the chosen viewpoint actually being on the wrong side of it ''and'' are using a mirror to flip the view of the window (the direction of interest being in-out of the mirror, ''the same direction'' as the mirror), so in-becomes-out-becomes-in and out-becomes-in-becomes-out. Therefore 'normal'. Again, everything explainable as the mirror flipping the in-and-out for itself, far more accurately than any attempt that involves left-and-right from the pure perspective of the mirror.
		+	<br/>...but I didn't want to mention quite so much of that in the Explanation, and hope that what I ''did'' put there is more than sufficient to describe the situation (for the general reader) without having gone into this more practical and extended example. (Which is also why, when driving and looking in the rear-view mirror, I can read the couple of 'bumper stickers' (or whatever you'd call our UK equivalent) stuck inside the rear window the right way round. And I obviously know why I should be able to, but still makes me smile when see them and often still can't idly help trying to work out why I'm seeing a reversed sticker re-reversed again, and then almost instantly telling myself the exact same explanation.) But I also thought it might be interesting to put this deeper-dive here, for those who bother to read this bit. ;) [[Special:Contributions/81.179.199.253\|81.179.199.253]] 01:14, 8 February 2026 (UTC)

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	My quick explanation for the mirror thing is that a mirror doesn't show the world reversed, it shows it inside-out. [[User:AmbroseChapel\|AmbroseChapel]] ([[User talk:AmbroseChapel\|talk]]) 01:22, 4 September 2017 (UTC)		My quick explanation for the mirror thing is that a mirror doesn't show the world reversed, it shows it inside-out. [[User:AmbroseChapel\|AmbroseChapel]] ([[User talk:AmbroseChapel\|talk]]) 01:22, 4 September 2017 (UTC)
		+
		+	Don't know why there was relationship with "First year" and "Fresher" in GB-English, as it only actually mentions (US term) "Freshman". But, from personal experience:
		+	*I was a "first year" in the first of 5(/6?) years in Primary (US: Elementary) School.
		+	*On moving to Secondary School, I was a First Year again, for the first of a further five years (first year/form to third year/form in 'lower school', fourth and fifth year in 'upper school')
		+	*''Would'' have then been part of the 'lower sixth' and 'upper sixth' for the A-Levels, at the Secondary School (called a "High School", but clearly mismatches US-type "High Schools" from what I've learnt from US TV/films) but that had been phased out before I got to that age, so I instead went to the "Sixth Form College" for that Further Education. Apart from being in the "first year of the course", I don't think I was considered a "first year". (Also, I did a fresh one-year course not available at Secondary level, as I was doing the first of my other two-years, and then started the A-Level follow-up as I was doing the 2nd year of my other courses, so I was in my first ''and'' second years at one point.)
		+	*In actual Higher Education, we were "Freshers"... though not sure that was used beyond the first term (we were so new that we were asking if you needed e-stamps for the e-mail, and many other pre-"Eternal September" things that happened mostly ''just'' in the September (maybe October too). I suppose the situation of "I'm in the first year (of my degree)" might have meant we were "first years" again, but I actually can't remember (four decades back!) apart from an obvious digit on the library card...
		+	...for what it's worth. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.99.144\|141.101.99.144]] 22:52, 11 September 2024 (UTC)

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	You're certainly correct, but I think that the original question is not really asking about text (or other things) which are perpendicular to the mirror, but rather text which is parallel to it (and thus the close vs. far doesn't come into it). For example, when reading signs in your rear view mirror or holding a book in front of your chest while looking in a mirror. I've added a little bit to the explanation to attempt to help clarify what's happening in that situation. I'm not sure if it really helps or not. [[User:KeithyIrwin\|KeithyIrwin]] ([[User talk:KeithyIrwin\|talk]]) 10:00, 10 December 2012 (UTC)		You're certainly correct, but I think that the original question is not really asking about text (or other things) which are perpendicular to the mirror, but rather text which is parallel to it (and thus the close vs. far doesn't come into it). For example, when reading signs in your rear view mirror or holding a book in front of your chest while looking in a mirror. I've added a little bit to the explanation to attempt to help clarify what's happening in that situation. I'm not sure if it really helps or not. [[User:KeithyIrwin\|KeithyIrwin]] ([[User talk:KeithyIrwin\|talk]]) 10:00, 10 December 2012 (UTC)
		+	:If the part you added was "mirrors don't reverse things, turning around does", then I think that that is the best description. If you can see text in a mirror, then that means that you have turned away from the text. And normally, humans turn around the z-axis. If, rather than <i>turning away</i> from a sign to look at a mirror on the opposite wall, you instead somersaulted backward into a handstand, then you would see the sign reversed vertically instead of horizontally. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.249.76\|108.162.249.76]] 22:33, 5 November 2017 (UTC)

	Easier way to describe it: Imagine you hold a piece of glass. Write on the glass and hold it in front of the mirror, so that you can see both the original text and the mirrored text. Both versions of the text will look identical. So the mirror doesn't change anything. [[Special:Contributions/62.220.2.194\|62.220.2.194]] 11:10, 10 December 2012 (UTC)		Easier way to describe it: Imagine you hold a piece of glass. Write on the glass and hold it in front of the mirror, so that you can see both the original text and the mirrored text. Both versions of the text will look identical. So the mirror doesn't change anything. [[Special:Contributions/62.220.2.194\|62.220.2.194]] 11:10, 10 December 2012 (UTC)

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	The mirror explanation is convoluted. The question tricks you into thinking there's right/left symmetry being mixed up, when the symmetry is actually across the surface of the mirror. That's it. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.215.94\|108.162.215.94]] 01:41, 28 September 2014 (UTC)		The mirror explanation is convoluted. The question tricks you into thinking there's right/left symmetry being mixed up, when the symmetry is actually across the surface of the mirror. That's it. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.215.94\|108.162.215.94]] 01:41, 28 September 2014 (UTC)
		+
		+	Clifford Stoll, in his book "Cuckoo's Egg", reports being asked why the sky was blue in an oral examination by Astronomy professors. Every time he thought he'd explained in sufficient detail, they would say "go on…" until he'd been talking for an hour on the topic. [[User:AmbroseChapel\|AmbroseChapel]] ([[User talk:AmbroseChapel\|talk]]) 01:22, 4 September 2017 (UTC)
		+
		+	My quick explanation for the mirror thing is that a mirror doesn't show the world reversed, it shows it inside-out. [[User:AmbroseChapel\|AmbroseChapel]] ([[User talk:AmbroseChapel\|talk]]) 01:22, 4 September 2017 (UTC)

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 I think most explanations of the the mirror issue overlook an even simpler explanation -- Things appear to be flipped such that left and right are reversed. However, that is only because you are used to things, such as people, rotating about a vertical axis, with top and bottom staying in the same position. If a clone of you stood on its head and you faced each other, your right arms would be on the same side (e.g. "closer to the door"). Now, if you look in a mirror, it is the same as seeing the clone flipped top to bottom.  [[Special:Contributions/24.41.66.114|24.41.66.114]] 01:06, 6 September 2013 (UTC)
-     I have read that when you are in front of the mirror, the reason that it seems to reverse the horizontal or x-axis (left-right) view but not the vertical or y-axis view, is that the mirror actually reverses the z-axis front-back. The part nearest to the mirror reverses. Example, if you hold your right gloved hand in front of the mirror with the 5 fingers pointing to the mirror, the image that you see in front of the mirror is not similar to the left-hand glove, but it is the right glove turned inside-out. To test, wear a right latex glove, write something on it, then remove the glove, making the right glove inside out. If you can read what you had just wrote, it had reversed horizontally, but not vertically, assuming same frames of reference.
+:I have read that when you are in front of the mirror, the reason that it seems to reverse the horizontal or x-axis (left-right) view but not the vertical or y-axis view, is that the mirror actually reverses the z-axis front-back. The part nearest to the mirror reverses. Example, if you hold your right gloved hand in front of the mirror with the 5 fingers pointing to the mirror, the image that you see in front of the mirror is not similar to the left-hand glove, but it is the right glove turned inside-out. To test, wear a right latex glove, write something on it, then remove the glove, making the right glove inside out. If you can read what you had just wrote, it had reversed horizontally, but not vertically, assuming same frames of reference. {{unsigned ip|188.114.106.101}}
 Of course with '''''vertical''''' mirror vertical axis is selected: perceived switching of left and right (really close with far to mirror surface).  When '''standing on''' '''''horizontal''''' mirror we will perceive switching bottom from top. --[[User:JakubNarebski|JakubNarebski]] ([[User talk:JakubNarebski|talk]]) 09:09, 10 December 2012 (UTC)

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	I think most explanations of the the mirror issue overlook an even simpler explanation -- Things appear to be flipped such that left and right are reversed. However, that is only because you are used to things, such as people, rotating about a vertical axis, with top and bottom staying in the same position. If a clone of you stood on its head and you faced each other, your right arms would be on the same side (e.g. "closer to the door"). Now, if you look in a mirror, it is the same as seeing the clone flipped top to bottom. [[Special:Contributions/24.41.66.114\|24.41.66.114]] 01:06, 6 September 2013 (UTC)		I think most explanations of the the mirror issue overlook an even simpler explanation -- Things appear to be flipped such that left and right are reversed. However, that is only because you are used to things, such as people, rotating about a vertical axis, with top and bottom staying in the same position. If a clone of you stood on its head and you faced each other, your right arms would be on the same side (e.g. "closer to the door"). Now, if you look in a mirror, it is the same as seeing the clone flipped top to bottom. [[Special:Contributions/24.41.66.114\|24.41.66.114]] 01:06, 6 September 2013 (UTC)
		+
		+	I have read that when you are in front of the mirror, the reason that it seems to reverse the horizontal or x-axis (left-right) view but not the vertical or y-axis view, is that the mirror actually reverses the z-axis front-back. The part nearest to the mirror reverses. Example, if you hold your right gloved hand in front of the mirror with the 5 fingers pointing to the mirror, the image that you see in front of the mirror is not similar to the left-hand glove, but it is the right glove turned inside-out. To test, wear a right latex glove, write something on it, then remove the glove, making the right glove inside out. If you can read what you had just wrote, it had reversed horizontally, but not vertically, assuming same frames of reference.

	Of course with '''''vertical''''' mirror vertical axis is selected: perceived switching of left and right (really close with far to mirror surface). When '''standing on''' '''''horizontal''''' mirror we will perceive switching bottom from top. --[[User:JakubNarebski\|JakubNarebski]] ([[User talk:JakubNarebski\|talk]]) 09:09, 10 December 2012 (UTC)		Of course with '''''vertical''''' mirror vertical axis is selected: perceived switching of left and right (really close with far to mirror surface). When '''standing on''' '''''horizontal''''' mirror we will perceive switching bottom from top. --[[User:JakubNarebski\|JakubNarebski]] ([[User talk:JakubNarebski\|talk]]) 09:09, 10 December 2012 (UTC)

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	I don't think that woman is Megan. She looks like a black-haired version of Ponytail. {{unsigned ip\|108.162.219.203}}		I don't think that woman is Megan. She looks like a black-haired version of Ponytail. {{unsigned ip\|108.162.219.203}}
		+	:Have to agree. Doesn't look like Megan. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.210.177\|108.162.210.177]] 23:53, 22 June 2015 (UTC)

	The mirror explanation is convoluted. The question tricks you into thinking there's right/left symmetry being mixed up, when the symmetry is actually across the surface of the mirror. That's it. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.215.94\|108.162.215.94]] 01:41, 28 September 2014 (UTC)		The mirror explanation is convoluted. The question tricks you into thinking there's right/left symmetry being mixed up, when the symmetry is actually across the surface of the mirror. That's it. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.215.94\|108.162.215.94]] 01:41, 28 September 2014 (UTC)

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−	The mirror explanation is convoluted. The question tricks you into thinking there's right/left symmetry being mixed up, when the symmetry is actually across the surface of the mirror. That's it. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.215.94\|108.162.215.94]] 01:41, 28 September 2014 (UTC)
−
	I think most explanations of the the mirror issue overlook an even simpler explanation -- Things appear to be flipped such that left and right are reversed. However, that is only because you are used to things, such as people, rotating about a vertical axis, with top and bottom staying in the same position. If a clone of you stood on its head and you faced each other, your right arms would be on the same side (e.g. "closer to the door"). Now, if you look in a mirror, it is the same as seeing the clone flipped top to bottom. [[Special:Contributions/24.41.66.114\|24.41.66.114]] 01:06, 6 September 2013 (UTC)		I think most explanations of the the mirror issue overlook an even simpler explanation -- Things appear to be flipped such that left and right are reversed. However, that is only because you are used to things, such as people, rotating about a vertical axis, with top and bottom staying in the same position. If a clone of you stood on its head and you faced each other, your right arms would be on the same side (e.g. "closer to the door"). Now, if you look in a mirror, it is the same as seeing the clone flipped top to bottom. [[Special:Contributions/24.41.66.114\|24.41.66.114]] 01:06, 6 September 2013 (UTC)

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	I don't think that woman is Megan. She looks like a black-haired version of Ponytail. {{unsigned ip\|108.162.219.203}}		I don't think that woman is Megan. She looks like a black-haired version of Ponytail. {{unsigned ip\|108.162.219.203}}
		+
		+	The mirror explanation is convoluted. The question tricks you into thinking there's right/left symmetry being mixed up, when the symmetry is actually across the surface of the mirror. That's it. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.215.94\|108.162.215.94]] 01:41, 28 September 2014 (UTC)

← Older revision		Revision as of 01:41, 28 September 2014
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		+	The mirror explanation is convoluted. The question tricks you into thinking there's right/left symmetry being mixed up, when the symmetry is actually across the surface of the mirror. That's it. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.215.94\|108.162.215.94]] 01:41, 28 September 2014 (UTC)
		+
	I think most explanations of the the mirror issue overlook an even simpler explanation -- Things appear to be flipped such that left and right are reversed. However, that is only because you are used to things, such as people, rotating about a vertical axis, with top and bottom staying in the same position. If a clone of you stood on its head and you faced each other, your right arms would be on the same side (e.g. "closer to the door"). Now, if you look in a mirror, it is the same as seeing the clone flipped top to bottom. [[Special:Contributions/24.41.66.114\|24.41.66.114]] 01:06, 6 September 2013 (UTC)		I think most explanations of the the mirror issue overlook an even simpler explanation -- Things appear to be flipped such that left and right are reversed. However, that is only because you are used to things, such as people, rotating about a vertical axis, with top and bottom staying in the same position. If a clone of you stood on its head and you faced each other, your right arms would be on the same side (e.g. "closer to the door"). Now, if you look in a mirror, it is the same as seeing the clone flipped top to bottom. [[Special:Contributions/24.41.66.114\|24.41.66.114]] 01:06, 6 September 2013 (UTC)

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 There was a hilarious [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Get_Fuzzy Get Fuzzy] strip where Rob tried to explain why the sky is blue to Satchel, but I can't find it. [http://homepage.smc.edu/morse_peter/phy14/LightOptics/GetFuzzyWhyIsTheSkyBlue.jpg This one?][[Special:Contributions/98.174.41.183|98.174.41.183]] 00:49, 31 December 2012 (UTC)  Yes that's the one. --[[User:Smartin|Smartin]] ([[User talk:Smartin|talk]]) 04:23, 1 January 2013 (UTC)
-: I would also just like to add that, as I understand it, the Sun puts out a lot more blue light than violet light, so it would make sense for blue to dominate. After green light, where the Sun's output peaks, the intensity of the light starts dropping dramatically. {{unsigned|71.104.183.59}}
+: I would also just like to add that, as I understand it, the Sun puts out a lot more blue light than violet light, so it would make sense for blue to dominate. After green light, where the Sun's output peaks, the intensity of the light starts dropping dramatically. {{unsigned ip|71.104.183.59}}
-I don't think that woman is Megan. She looks like a black-haired version of Ponytail.
+I don't think that woman is Megan. She looks like a black-haired version of Ponytail. {{unsigned ip|108.162.219.203}}