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From: tainter@ihlpg.ATT.COM (Tainter)
Newsgroups: rec.humor,sci.misc
Subject: Re: Mirros "Reversing" (was Re: quick question)
Message-ID: <4725@ihlpg.ATT.COM>
Date: 29 Jan 88 19:28:24 GMT
References: <760@aucs.UUCP> 1170@petsd.UUCP <551NU109703@NDSUVM1>
Distribution: na
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories - Naperville, Illinois
Lines: 21

In article <551NU109703@NDSUVM1>, NU109703@NDSUVM1.BITNET writes:
>The reason I think a mirror reverses left to right instead of up and down:
>The mirror itself has no 'preferences' as to which way to reverse.  It is
>only a simple reflection of light.  The reason that we may "say" it reverses
>us is because we see the difference between the way we see ourselves and the
>way others see ourselves.

We say a mirror reverses left to right because the symmetric axis
of  a  person  is  the horizonal.  If you think about it you will
find that 'reversal' in this case means if you do a  rotation  of
your  body  around  a  vertical  access to orient yourself to the
image facing you that your right hand is where  the  images  hand
seems  to  be  and  so  forth.  However,  if you use a horizontal
rotation you find the top and bottom are 'reversed'.  Note,  this
doesn't  seem  natural because there is not symmetry on this axis
so  like  components  of  your  body  do  not  align  themselves.
However, it is just as a valid of a rotation.

Further discussion should be taken to a qualified psychologist.

--j.a.tainter