2019-12-06

[public] 767K views, 45.6K likes, 471 dislikes audio only

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This video is about why words flip left & right (aka horizontally) in a mirror but not up & down (aka vertically). The answer has to do with specular reflection, mirrors being like windows into another world (alternate universes, just with in and out flipped!), and transparency of the things we write on.

REFERENCES

Specular Reflection

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Specular_reflection

PhysicsGirl video about mirrors

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vBpxhfBlVLU

Fermat’s principle

http://electron6.phys.utk.edu/optics421/modules/m1/Fermat's%20principle.htm

Thomas-Fermi screening

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas%E2%80%93Fermi_screening

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Minute Physics provides an energetic and entertaining view of old and new problems in physics -- all in a minute!

Created by Henry Reich