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Why do we see ourselves in the mirror? Why do we see reflection in the mirror? Mirror and photo - which is more truthful?

Why do we see ourselves in the mirror? Why do we see reflection in the mirror? Mirror and photo - which is more truthful?

Spectrophobia is serious mental disorder.

People of different ages face this fear.

To prevent a phobia from progressing and stop causing harm to a person, you need to get rid of it, but first understand the reason for its appearance.

I’m very afraid to have my teeth treated: what should I do? Find out about this from ours.

What is the fear of mirrors called?

Severe fear something is called a phobia. Fear arises against the background of a mental disorder.

Spectrophobia is the fear of mirrors and one's own reflection. This is a very rare phobia, but many people have the beginnings of it.

As soon as spectrophobia appears, a person literally falls out of normal life, withdraws into himself and prefers to be in a room without mirrors.

He doesn’t want to appear on the street, since mirrors are now literally at every step. It is not possible to exist in a world without mirrors.

Fear intensifies at night, when a person is afraid to see something even more frightening in the mirror than in the daytime.

Patient's condition deteriorates sharply: cold sweat appears, the pulse quickens, and the pupils dilate. Some patients admit that they feel dizzy.

A terrible reflection - why the mirror distorts our appearance:

What is it expressed in?

Fear manifests itself first in the fact that a person avoids mirrors.

If there are any in the apartment, they are hung with thick fabric.

Passing shop windows, the person turns away from them and tries not to look. The patient is very frightened.

They may be afraid not only of mirrors, but also water surface, because it also reflects the appearance of a person. Usually such people swim in the sea with caution and try not to look into the water. Any glass surfaces in the house are also hidden with fabrics.

The phobia also results in the person becoming fearful, agitated and nervous. He constantly looks around, trying to make sure that there are no mirrors in the room.

Such a person is ready to cry, become hysterical, or scream at any moment. When he sees a large number of mirrors in a room, he can instantly run away.

Causes

Phobias usually appear due to a person's faith, that something threatens his life. However, spectrophobia is different from other fears, since a mirror cannot physically harm a person. The reason is psychological.

For example, the patient is afraid to see something in the mirror scary, frightening. It represents something that is not real.

Fear can also manifest itself in another way: a person is afraid of breaking a mirror, since in this case he will be haunted by failures for seven years.

Fear also arises against the background of beliefs in the existence evil spirits.

Since ancient times, people have believed that a mirror is a portal to another world inhabited by dangerous creatures. Patients are convinced that monsters and ghosts can come out of the mirror.

Some people avoid mirrors because physical disabilities. They are afraid to see the flaw that worries them greatly. For example, there is a severe burn on the face, and a person cannot get used to the new look.

How to get rid of agoraphobia? you will find on our website.

Symptoms and signs of eisoptrophobia

TO main symptoms include:

Fear of one's reflection in the mirror.
Fear of seeing your appearance in a photograph. Such people do not like to be photographed.
When in a room with mirrors, a person becomes nervous, excited, has a rapid pulse, and cold sweat. A state on the verge of fainting is created.

Signs of such a phobia also include dizziness and hysterics at the sight of mirrors. A person’s mood changes sharply, he may get angry at everyone, or burst into tears.

He cannot get rid of fear, he breathes rapidly, sweats and tends to leave the premises. The skin turns pale, trembling is felt throughout the body. The patient becomes withdrawn and avoids communicating with people.

How to overcome fear?

Patients are helped through medications and psychological assistance. Only an integrated approach helps overcome a phobia.

Medicines

Patients need medications to relieve anxiety and anxiety.

Medicines are aimed at normalizing and eliminating panic attacks.

The most effective drugs are:

Passifit;
Persen;
Valordin;
Dormiplant.

This sedatives drugs containing sedatives. The duration of administration and dosage are determined by the doctor individually.

Sometimes you need sleeping pills drugs:

Zolpidem;
Piclodorm;
Zaleplon;
Clomethiazole.

These are representatives of the third generation of sleeping pills and are safe for the body. However, only doctors can prescribe them.

If panic attacks occur more and more often, the phobia develops rapidly, you need to think about using more effective medications. This is about tranquilizers:

Heptral;
Paxil;
Zyban.

The selection of medications is carried out by a specialist. You cannot purchase them yourself, as this can worsen the condition.

Psychological help

Experts use several methods to eliminate phobias. Each method is effective in its own way:

What happens if you look in the mirror for a long time? Find out from the video:

Fear can be of different types. The psychologist answers questions and gives useful advice. What to do, if I'm afraid?

Reflective surfaces

A person should calm down, try to distract yourself from negative thoughts.

Fantastic films and books can reinforce fear. They should be abandoned during treatment. You need to be able to distinguish fiction from truth. Thoughts about non-existent things needs to be driven away.

We must remember that mirrors and reflective surfaces cannot physically cause harm. They absolutely safe. You must try to convince yourself that mirrors are not dangerous.

Reflections

Let the contact last a few seconds at first, the main thing is not to give in to fear.

Gradually the person will look in the mirror longer and the fear will disappear. To relieve anxiety and excitement, it is better to use medications and herbal teas.

Mirrors in the dark

Usually behind this fear lies fear evil spirits, ghosts.

Getting rid of this fear on your own is not easy.

The first thing you need to understand is that most fears are far-fetched. Thoughts about parallel worlds must be eliminated. Don't give in to them.

If the fear is strong, it is really better not to look in the mirror in the dark. However, you should understand that mirrors do not pose a danger even in the dark.

Take pictures

Typically, patients are afraid not of the cameras themselves, but result of the photo shoot. A person does not like the way he looks and notices cosmetic flaws.

If you have had a negative experience in the past, the fear of being photographed will appear. At the same time, the patient must understand that everyone has successful and unsuccessful photographs. This is completely normal.

You can convince yourself that It's possible to get great photos. At home you should try to take photographs and use various photo effects. This will help relieve fear. It is quite possible that you will get one successful shot.

If you want to overcome your fear, a person is determined, you need to go to a photo shoot. Professionals will create great photos that a person will love. However, this method is recommended for those who have undergone therapy with a psychologist and taken prescribed medications.

Patients must be aware that it is far not always right the first time Even professional models take good pictures.

It could also be the camera itself or the lighting in the room.

There is no need to blame yourself for bad photos. If the problem still persists, it is recommended go to a psychologist.

Spectrophobia is a serious problem that makes a person’s life unbearable and causes even greater mental disorders.

You need to deal with it as early as possible by going to an experienced specialist. It is important to find the cause of fear, work to eliminate it. Only hard work on yourself and considerable effort will bring positive results.

Since ancient times, mirrors have been credited with magical properties; many legends and superstitions are associated with them. Even in our pragmatic times, when mirrors are used for “selfies”, the question still remains open: do they lie? We'll figure out.

OPTICAL PROPERTIES OF MIRRORS AND HUMAN PERCEPTION ORGANS
To clarify the issue of the veracity of mirrors, we need to remember the lessons of history, physics and anatomy. The reflective effect of modern mirrors is based on the properties of glass coated with a special layer of metal. In ancient times, when the method of producing glass had not yet been discovered, plates of precious metals, most often round in shape, were used as mirrors.

To increase the reflective ability, the metal discs were subjected to additional processing - grinding.
Glass mirrors appeared only in the 13th century; the Romans learned to make them by breaking into pieces vessels with a frozen layer of tin inside. Sheet mirrors based on an alloy of tin and mercury began to be produced 300 years later.

In the old-fashioned way, many people call the reflective part of the mirror an amalgam, although modern production uses aluminum or silver (0.15–0.3 microns thick), coated with several protective layers.

HOW TO CHOOSE A “TRUE” MIRROR?
The reflective properties of modern mirrors depend not only on the type of amalgam, but also on the evenness of the surface and the “purity” (transparency) of the glass. Light rays are sensitive even to irregularities that are not visible to the human eye.

Any glass defects that arise during its manufacturing process and the structure of the reflective layer (waviness, porosity and other defects) affect the “truthfulness” of the future mirror.

The degree of permissible distortion is reflected by the marking of the mirrors; it is divided into 9 classes - from M0 to M8. The number of defects in the mirror coating depends on the method of manufacturing the mirror.
The most accurate mirrors - class M0 and M1 - are produced using the Float method. Hot glass melt is poured onto the surface of the hot metal, where it is evenly distributed and cooled. This method of casting allows you to obtain the thinnest and smoothest glass possible.

Classes M2-M4 are manufactured using a less advanced method - Fourko. The hot ribbon of glass is pulled out of the furnace, passed between rollers, and cooled. In this case, the final product has a surface with bulges, which cause reflection distortion.
An ideal M0 mirror is rare; usually the most “truthful” one on sale is M1. The M4 marking indicates slight curvature; mirrors of subsequent classes can only be purchased for equipment in a fun room.

Experts consider silver-coated mirrors made in Russia to be the most accurate. Silver has a higher reflectivity, and domestic manufacturers do not use markings above M1. But in Chinese-made products we buy M4 mirrors, which cannot be accurate by definition. We must not forget about light - the most realistic reflection provides bright, uniform illumination of the object.

MY LIGHT, MIRROR, SAY...
Everyone in childhood visited the so-called laughter room or watched the fairy tale about the Kingdom of Crooked Mirrors, so no one needs to explain how reflection changes on a convex or concave surface.

The effect of curvature is also present in smooth, but very large mirrors (with a side of 1 m). This is explained by the fact that their surface is deformed under its own weight, so large mirrors are made from sheets at least 8 mm thick.

But the ideal quality of a mirror does not guarantee its “truthfulness” for an individual. The fact is that, even having a perfectly smooth mirror that very accurately reflects external objects, a person will perceive a reflection with defects due to his individual characteristics.

What we are accustomed to thinking of as our reflection is not actually it - it is just a visual projection that manifests itself in the subcortex of the brain, thanks to the work of the complex human perception system.
In fact, perception largely depends on the function of the visual organs (the human eye that looks in the mirror) and the work of the brain, which transforms incoming signals into an image. How else can one explain the visual dependence of reflection distortion on the shape of the mirror?! After all, everyone knows that elongated (rectangular and oval) mirrors make you look slimmer, while square and round ones make you look fatter. This is how the psychology of perception of the human brain works, which analyzes incoming information, linking it to familiar objects and forms.

MIRROR AND PHOTO – WHAT IS MORE TRUE?
Another strange fact is known: many people notice striking differences between their reflection in the mirror and the image they see in the photo. This especially worries the fair sex, who, according to the old Russian tradition, want to know only one thing: “Am I the most beautiful in the world?”

The phenomenon when a person does not recognize himself or herself in a photograph is quite common, because in his or her inner world he or she sees himself or herself differently - and largely thanks to the mirror. This paradox has inspired hundreds of scientific studies. If all scientific conclusions are translated into simple language, then such differences are explained by the peculiarities of the optical structure of two systems - the camera lens and the human visual organs.

1) The principle of operation of the eyeball receptors is not at all the same as that of glass optics: the camera lens differs from the structure of the eye lens, and it can also be deformed due to eye fatigue, age-related changes, etc.

2) The reality of the image is influenced by the number of points of perception of the object and their location. The camera only has one lens, so the image comes out flat. The human organs of vision and the lobes of the brain that record the image are paired, so we perceive the reflection in the mirror as three-dimensional (three-dimensional).

3) The reliability of image capture depends on the lighting. Photographers often use this feature, creating an interesting image in the photo that is strikingly different from the real model. When looking at themselves in the mirror, people usually do not change the lighting the way a camera flash or spotlights do.

4) Another important aspect is distance. People are used to looking in the mirror up close, while they often take photographs from afar.

5) In addition, the time required by the camera to take a picture is negligible; in photography there is even a special term - shutter speed. The photographic lens captures a split second, capturing a facial expression that is sometimes elusive to the eye.

As you can see, each system has its own characteristics that affect image distortion. Taking these nuances into account, we can say that the photo more accurately captures our image, but only for a moment. The human brain perceives images in a wider spectrum. And it’s not just about the volume, but also about the nonverbal signals that people send constantly. Therefore, from the point of view of how people around us perceive us, the reflection in the mirror is more truthful.

Man is able to see thanks to light. Light quanta - photons - have the properties of both waves and particles. Light sources are divided into primary and secondary. In primary ones - such as the Sun, lamps, fire, electric discharge - photons are born as a result of chemical, nuclear or thermonuclear reactions. Any atom serves as a secondary source of light: having absorbed a photon, it goes into an excited state and sooner or later returns to the main state, emitting a new photon. When a beam of light hits an opaque object, all the photons that make up the beam are absorbed by atoms on the surface of the object. The excited atoms almost immediately return the absorbed energy in the form of secondary photons, which are emitted evenly in all directions.

If the surface is rough, then the atoms on it are arranged randomly, the wave properties of light do not appear, and the total radiation intensity is equal to the algebraic sum of the radiation intensity of each re-emitting atom. Moreover, regardless of the viewing angle, we see the same light flux reflected from the surface - such reflection is called diffuse. Otherwise, light is reflected from a smooth surface, for example, a mirror, polished metal, glass. In this case, the atoms re-emitting light are ordered relative to each other, the light exhibits wave properties, and the intensities of the secondary waves depend on the phase differences of neighboring secondary light sources.

As a result, secondary waves compensate each other in all directions, with the exception of one, which is determined by the well-known law - the angle of incidence is equal to the angle of reflection. Photons seem to bounce elastically from the mirror, so their trajectories go from objects that seem to be behind it - these are what a person sees when looking in the mirror.

True, the world through the looking glass is different from ours: texts are read from right to left, clock hands rotate in the opposite direction, and if you raise your left hand, our double in the mirror will raise his right, and the rings are on the wrong hand... Unlike the movie screen, where all the spectators They see the same image, but the reflections in the mirror are different for everyone. For example, the girl in the picture does not see herself in the mirror at all, but the photographer (since he sees her reflection). To see yourself, you need to sit in front of the mirror. Then the photons coming from the face in the direction of the gaze fall on the mirror almost at a right angle and return back. When they reach your eyes, you see your image on the other side of the glass. Closer to the edge of the mirror, the eyes catch photons reflected by it at a certain angle. This means that they also came at an angle, that is, from objects located on either side of you. This allows you to see yourself in the mirror along with your surroundings. But less light is always reflected from the mirror than is incident, for two reasons: there are no perfectly smooth surfaces, and the light always heats up the mirror a little.

Of the widely used materials, polished silver reflects light best (more than 95%). Mirrors were made from it in ancient times. But when exposed to air, silver tarnishes due to oxidation and the polish becomes damaged. In addition, a metal mirror turns out to be expensive and heavy. Now a thin layer of metal is applied to the back of the glass, protecting it from damage with several layers of paint, and instead of silver, aluminum is often used to save money. Its reflectivity is about 90%, and the difference is invisible to the eye.

History of the mirror

Archaeologists have discovered the first small mirrors made of tin, gold or platinum dating back to the Bronze Age. The modern history of mirrors dates back to the 13th century, or more precisely, from 1240, when Europe learned to blow glass vessels. The invention of the true glass mirror can be traced back to 1279, when the Italian Franciscan monk John Peckham described a method of coating glass with a thin layer of tin.

The production of the mirror looked like this. The master poured molten tin into the vessel through a tube, which spread in an even layer over the surface of the glass, and when the ball cooled down, it was broken into pieces. The first mirror was imperfect: concave fragments slightly distorted the image, but it became bright and clear. In the 13th century, the handicraft technology of mirror production was mastered in Holland. It was followed by Flanders and the German city of craftsmen Nuremberg, where the first mirror workshop arose in 1373.

In 1407, the Venetian brothers Danzalo del Gallo bought the patent from the Flemings, and Venice held a monopoly on the production of excellent Venetian mirrors, which should have been called Flemish, for a full century and a half. And although Venice was not the only place where mirrors were produced at that time, it was Venetian mirrors that were distinguished by the highest quality. Venetian craftsmen added gold and bronze to reflective compositions, so all objects in the mirror looked even more beautiful than in reality. The cost of one Venetian mirror was equal to the cost of a small sea vessel, and to purchase them, French aristocrats were sometimes forced to sell entire estates. For example, figures that have survived to this day say that a not-so-large mirror measuring 100x65 cm cost more than 8,000 livres, and a Raphael painting of the same size cost about 3,000 livres. Mirrors were extremely expensive. Only very rich aristocrats and royalty could buy and collect them.

At the beginning of the 16th century, the Andrea Domenico brothers from Murano cut a still hot cylinder of glass lengthwise and rolled out its halves on a copper tabletop. The result was a sheet of mirror cloth, distinguished by its brilliance, crystal transparency and purity. Such a mirror, unlike the fragments of the ball, did not distort anything. This is how the main event in the history of mirror production took place.

Glass and France

At the end of the 16th century, succumbing to fashion, the French queen Marie de' Medici ordered 119 mirrors for her mirror cabinet in Venice, paying a huge sum for the order. Venetian mirror makers, in response to the royal gesture, also showed extraordinary generosity - they presented the French Queen Marie de' Medici with a mirror. It is the most expensive in the world, and is now kept in the Louvre. The mirror is decorated with agates and onyxes, and the frame is inlaid with precious stones.

The French turned out to be capable students, and soon even surpassed their teachers. Mirror glass began to be produced not by blowing, as was done in Murano, but by casting. The technology is as follows: molten glass directly from the melting pot is poured onto a flat surface and rolled out with a roller. The author of this method is called Luca De Nega.

The invention could not have come at a better time: the Gallery of Mirrors was being built at Versailles. It was 73 meters long and needed large mirrors. At the company "San"

Gabin" made 306 such mirrors in order to stun with their radiance those who were lucky enough to visit the king in Versailles. After this, how was it possible not to recognize Louis XIV’s right to be called the “Sun King”? After the opening of the French mirror manufactory, prices for mirrors began to decline sharply. This was also facilitated by German and Bohemian glass factories, which produced mirrors at a lower cost. Mirrors began to appear on the walls of private houses, in picture frames. In the 18th century, two thirds of Parisians had already acquired them. In addition, ladies began to wear small mirrors attached to chains on their belts.

The revolution in the production of mirrors was brought by the German chemist, Justus von Liebig, who began using silver in 1835 to silver mirrors and obtain a clearer image. This technology, almost unchanged, is still used in the production of mirrors.

How a mirror distorts our appearance

The reflective properties of modern mirrors depend not only on the type of amalgam, but also on the evenness of the surface and the “purity” (transparency) of the glass. Light rays are sensitive even to irregularities that are not visible to the human eye.

Any glass defects that arise during its manufacturing process and the structure of the reflective layer (waviness, porosity and other defects) affect the “truthfulness” of the future mirror.

The degree of permissible distortion is reflected by the marking of the mirrors; it is divided into 9 classes - from M0 to M8. The number of defects in the mirror coating depends on the method of manufacturing the mirror. The most accurate mirrors - class M0 and M1 - are produced using the Float method. Hot glass melt is poured onto the surface of the hot metal, where it is evenly distributed and cooled. This method of casting allows you to obtain the thinnest and smoothest glass possible.

An ideal M0 mirror is rare; usually the most “truthful” one on sale is M1. The M4 marking indicates slight curvature; mirrors of subsequent classes can only be purchased for equipment in a fun room.

Reflection as projection

Everyone in childhood visited the so-called laughter room or watched the fairy tale about the Kingdom of Crooked Mirrors, so no one needs to explain how reflection changes on a convex or concave surface. The effect of curvature is also present in smooth, but very large mirrors (with a side of ≥1 m). This is explained by the fact that their surface is deformed under its own weight, so large mirrors are made from sheets at least 8 mm thick.

In fact, perception largely depends on the function of the visual organs (the human eye that looks in the mirror) and the work of the brain, which transforms incoming signals into an image. How else can one explain the visual dependence of reflection distortion on the shape of the mirror?! After all, everyone knows that elongated (rectangular and oval) mirrors make you look slimmer, while square and round ones make you look fatter. This is how the psychology of perception of the human brain works, which analyzes incoming information, linking it to familiar objects and forms.

Mirror and photo - which is more truthful?

Another strange fact is known: many people notice striking differences between their reflection in the mirror and the image they see in the photo. This especially worries the fair sex, who, according to the old Russian tradition, want to know only one thing: “Am I the most beautiful in the world?”

The principle of operation of the eyeball receptors is not at all the same as that of glass optics: the camera lens differs from the structure of the eye lens, and it can also be deformed due to eye fatigue, age-related changes, etc.
The reality of the image is influenced by the number of points of perception of the object and their location. The camera only has one lens, so the image comes out flat. The human organs of vision and the lobes of the brain that record the image are paired, so we perceive the reflection in the mirror as three-dimensional (three-dimensional).
The reliability of image capture depends on the lighting. Photographers often use this feature, creating an interesting image in the photo that is strikingly different from the real model. When looking at themselves in the mirror, people usually do not change the lighting the way a camera flash or spotlights do.
Another important aspect is distance. People are used to looking in the mirror up close, while they often take photographs from afar.
In addition, the time required by the camera to take a picture is negligible; in photography there is even a special term - shutter speed. The photographic lens captures a split second, capturing a facial expression that is sometimes elusive to the eye.

10 Crazy Facts About Mirrors

Mirrors not only help us clean ourselves up, but also benefit science

We all look in the mirror every day, but mirrors aren't just about checking how you look or whether there's another car behind you while you're driving. You can do some crazy things with mirrors, including creating and maintaining a wormhole stable enough to travel through time. Mirrors and phantom limbs can help us learn more about the brain, and mirrors can also be used to measure the distance to the moon.

1. Mirrors and time travel

We've all heard that time travel is possible using wormholes, right? The only trouble is that wormholes are extremely unstable - they quickly collapse, so it is extremely difficult to pass through them.

However, a couple of mirrors can solve the problem. All you need is two uncharged mirrors (metal plates will do) in a vacuum, placed a few micrometers apart. Be sure to make sure that there is no external electromagnetic field between them. The Casimir effect will appear - a physical force arising due to the quantum field between the mirrors.

This quantum electrodynamic force creates a massive negative region of spacetime between the mirrors, which can result in a stable wormhole through which it is theoretically possible to travel faster than the speed of light. So, according to the theory, you could travel to the past, but the future, unfortunately, remains inaccessible, so you won’t be able to find out the winning lottery ticket numbers. There is another fly in the ointment - such stable wormholes are infinitely small, so it’s still difficult to get to know your great-great-grandmother.

2. Mirrors, phantom limbs and the human brain

Experiments using mirrors on patients with phantom limbs have allowed researchers to learn a lot about how the brain works. Scientists place mirrors vertically on a table, and an entire limb of the patient—say, a hand—is reflected between them. The reflection of the uninjured hand is superimposed on the side of the phantom limb, so that the patient seems to see both hands - the intact one and the missing one.

It sounds creepy, but when a person sees both hands, he feels his phantom hand moving, even if he lost it ten years ago or more. When his whole hand is touched, he feels the touch on the phantom hand. After several repetitions of the procedure, patients felt that their phantom limb had disappeared. Scientists believe the effect is due to brain plasticity—the way the brain creates new neural pathways after limb loss. Scientists also believe that there is a very close connection between vision and touch in the brain.

3. Mirrors cause hallucinations

When you look in the mirror, a strange illusion can arise. Try it yourself: sit in a dark room in front of a mirror about a meter away and look at your face for ten minutes. The room should be as dark as possible so that you can clearly see your reflection.

First, you will notice how your face in the mirror becomes slightly distorted. Gradually, the reflection will change faster, it will become more like a mask - you will feel that the face in the mirror does not belong to you. Some people see the faces of strangers, fantastic monsters, or the faces of animals.

Scientists believe that such an experiment can help us better understand ourselves. Some psychologists believe that the method is suitable for treating schizophrenia - it allows patients to confront their other selves.

4. Does everyone recognize themselves in the mirror?

Recognizing yourself in the mirror is completely natural: at least, that’s what most people will say, but not everyone is able to pass the self-identification test in the mirror. Scientists place marks on a subject's face or body to determine whether the person recognizes themselves in the mirror—if so, they are likely to try to erase the mark. Children, for example, begin to recognize themselves in the mirror only at the age of 24 months.

However, when researchers tested children from countries such as Kenya or Fiji, they were very surprised - six-year-old children could not pass this test. But this is not a sign that they do not have the ability to psychologically separate themselves from other people. Most likely, the problem is cultural differences: children, as a rule, froze in front of their own reflection - this proves that they understood that they were seeing themselves and not someone else.

5. Animals that recognize themselves in the mirror

So, many people fail the mirror self-identification test. The same goes for most animals - but not all. Could this mean that some animals are able to recognize their own reflection? Scientists believe so.

For example, elephants, while in front of a mirror, did not erase the mark on their heads, but showed obvious signs of self-identification - they performed a series of repeated movements. It may be that some animals simply don't care about foreign marks on their body and therefore don't react to them.

Gorillas also do the marking test differently than humans. However, gorillas are easily embarrassed: eye contact is extremely important in gorilla society, so after they looked at themselves in the mirror, they tended to try

retire and then erase the marks that you previously saw in the mirror. So it is now believed that gorillas are able to recognize themselves in a mirror.

Perhaps it's because the marking test doesn't work for most animal species, so many species may be more self-aware than we think. Chimpanzees, orangutans, bonobos, dolphins, killer whales and European magpies can also pass the mirror test.

6. Mirrors on the Moon

The distance from us to the Moon is approximately 384,403 km, and we were able to recognize it thanks to mirrors. The distance from the Moon to the Earth is constantly changing due to the fact that the Moon revolves around our planet in an elliptical orbit. The distance from the closest point in the Moon's orbit to the Earth, known as perigee, is only 363,104 km, and at apogee, the farthest point, this distance is 406,696 km.

The Apollo astronauts installed a corner reflector on the Moon, which was used to calculate the distance from the Earth to the Moon. Corner reflectors are a special type of mirror that reflects the laser beam back in the direction from which it came. These laser beams are aimed at the Moon by huge telescopes on Earth, and their reflected light allows scientists to calculate the distance to the Moon to within three centimeters.

Corner reflectors have also increased our knowledge of the Moon. For example, they provided information about the lunar orbit, and we now know that the satellite moves away from Earth by about 3.8 cm every year. This data was even used to test Einstein's theory of relativity.

7. Mirrors can reflect sound

Mirrors that reflect sound waves are known as acoustic mirrors. They were used in Great Britain during World War II to detect certain sound waves coming from enemy aircraft. This was before the advent of radar.

Such mirrors were built all over the coast of Great Britain, the most famous of which still stand in Denge, Kent. You can’t just approach them, access is limited - you can see the mirrors only on a special excursion.

The world's only acoustic mirror outside the UK is located in Maktab, Malta. This is one of the largest such mirrors in the world - its diameter is about 61 meters. In the local dialect, the mirror is also called “Il widna”, which means “ear”. The location of the “Ear” is not a secret, but free access to it is closed.

8. Mirrors reflect matter

Surprisingly, there are mirrors that can reflect matter - in physics they are known as atomic mirrors. An atomic mirror reflects the atoms of a substance in the same way that an ordinary mirror reflects light. Electromagnetic fields are used to reflect neutral atoms, although some mirrors use ordinary silicon water.

Reflection from an atomic mirror is essentially quantum reflection of de Broglie waves. It works to reflect neutral atoms that move slowly: such atoms are mainly repelled by the surface of the mirror. The property can be used to trap slow atoms or focus

atomic beam. Ribbed atomic mirrors work better due to the longer wavelength of matter compared to minute photons of light.

9. True mirrors

It is a myth that the mirror shows your face “upside down”: your reflection is not upside down, what you see is the left side of your face to the left of the mirror and the right side to the right; This is why the illusion is created that your reflection is upside down.

However, there is a so-called non-reversible, or truthful mirror - it allows a person to see himself in the mirror exactly as other people see him. First of all, such mirrors are used for applying makeup.

A true mirror is easy to create at home: simply place two regular mirrors perpendicular to each other and look at your reflection from the combination: a true mirror will give you a 3D reflection that moves exactly like you, rather than being flat like a regular mirror .

10. Mirrors separate rays of light

Mirrors can not only reflect light, sound and matter - they can also separate rays of light. Mirrors are used in many beam splitters and most scientific instruments, including telescopes. A standard beam splitter is a cube made of two glass prisms on the same base. When light rays hit the beam splitter, half of them continue to move along the same path, and the other half are reflected at an angle of 90°.

conclusions

Reflection occurs due to the fact that the mirror and the water surface are very smooth and almost do not absorb light. In fact, absolutely everything we see is light reflected from objects. When we see our reflection, we see light that was first reflected from our body, then from the mirror and then into our eyes. In the same way, when we see a soccer ball in front of us, we only see the light that has been reflected from it. Moreover, most often not all the light is reflected from objects, but part of it. When light from the sun hits our soccer ball, it contains rays of light of all possible colors, but during reflection, some of the sun's rays may be absorbed by the surface of the ball. So, if the ball is yellow, this means that the yellow rays were reflected from it, but all the others were not. We see black color when all rays are absorbed, and white when all rays are reflected. Almost all the rays of the sun are also reflected from the mirror and from the water surface.

But this is not enough. When rays of light fall on any surface, they all go in orderly parallel rows. But if the surface is uneven, then the rays of light will be reflected from it in different directions depending on the unevenness on which they fell. Moreover, these irregularities can be very small, and this will be enough for us not to see the reflection. Snow, for example, reflects all the rays that fall on it, but we will not see the reflection in it, because the rays reflected from it are scattered in different directions. Unlike snow, the surface of water, a mirror or any other polished surface is very smooth, so light reflects from them in the same way as it falls, and we see our reflection.

Reflections, cf. 1. units only Action according to verb. reflect reflect. Repelling an attack. Reflection of accusations. 2. only units. Action according to verb. reflect reflected. Reflection of light. Reflection of influences. 3. An image of an object appearing on a smooth... ... Ushakov's Explanatory Dictionary

A universal property of matter, which consists in reproducing the signs, properties and relationships of the reflected object. “...It is logical to assume that all matter has a property essentially related to sensation, the property of reflection...”... ... Philosophical Encyclopedia

reflection- Fine-tuning to an entire part of another person's behavior. (See also: Adjustment and Mirroring). Brief explanatory psychological and psychiatric dictionary. Ed. igisheva. 2008 ... Great psychological encyclopedia

In philosophy, a property of matter that consists in reproducing the features of a reflected object or process. In various forms, reflection is inherent in bodies of inorganic nature (for example, a trace produced by the impact of one object on another),... ... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary

REFLECTION, change in direction (partial or complete) of a wave. This happens when a wave, such as light or sound, hits a surface separating two different media, such as air and metal, and partially "bounces" back into... ... Scientific and technical encyclopedic dictionary

In water, stream, glass symbolizes the temporary phenomenal world. Can also symbolize truth. The moving image of eternity (Plato) ... Dictionary of symbols

History of Philosophy: Encyclopedia

A category of epistemology that acts as fundamental for the materialistic tradition of cognitive optimism. O. characterizes the ability of material objects, in the process of interaction with other objects, to reproduce in their own... ... The latest philosophical dictionary

REFLECTION, I, cf. 1. see reflect, xia. 2. An image of an object that appears on a smooth surface that perceives light. See your o. in the mirror. 3. what. What is reflected, what is reproduced. Literature about. life. Ozhegov's Explanatory Dictionary... Ozhegov's Explanatory Dictionary

- “REFLECTION”, Russia, ROSANNA, 1998, color, 94 min. Action. Someone from the powers that be wants to buy part of the protected forest. All the papers are completed, all you need is the signature of huntsman Vasiliev. And here the huntsman “found a scythe on a stone” even from a lot of money... ... Encyclopedia of Cinema

Books

Reflection, Panov Vadim Yurievich. Six stories. Six verses from songs of famous rock bands. Six genres. And a multi-layered plot that, with mathematical precision, connects the short stories into a voluminous novel, weaving into our...

In matters of appearance, we focus primarily on our reflection in the mirror. However, not only can it not convey the whole truth, but it can also deceive us.

A little physics

To clarify the issue of the veracity of mirrors, we need to remember the lessons of history, physics and anatomy. The reflective effect of modern mirrors is based on the properties of glass coated with a special layer of metal. In ancient times, when the method of producing glass had not yet been discovered, plates of precious metals, most often round in shape, were used as mirrors.

How to choose a “true” mirror?

Any glass defects that arise during its manufacturing process and the structure of the reflective layer (waviness, porosity and other defects) affect the “truthfulness” of the future mirror.

Reflection as projection

The effect of curvature is also present in smooth, but very large mirrors (with a side of ≥1 m). This is explained by the fact that their surface is deformed under its own weight, so large mirrors are made from sheets at least 8 mm thick.

Mirror and photo - which is more truthful?

4) Another important aspect is distance. People are used to looking in the mirror up close, while they often take photographs from afar.