Strange Optical Phenomenon (mirror in shower)

Discussion in 'Physics & Math' started by Neddy Bate, Oct 19, 2021.

  1. Neddy Bate Valued Senior Member

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    Thank you, Michael 345. I happen to agree that optical phenomenon is a better description of a rainbow.
     
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  3. DaveC426913 Valued Senior Member

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    Sorry, I am refusing to tell you? That's pretty incendiary language.

    Are you demanding I tell you?
     
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  5. Neddy Bate Valued Senior Member

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    No, I just asked.
     
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  7. DaveC426913 Valued Senior Member

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    What I think is that the proof will be in the pudding.

    It will be "like a rainbow" when a plausible mechanism can be formed that operates to reflect, refract, block, or diffract light.

    So far, we don't really know it is a phenomenon, any more than Magical Realist over in the UFO thread knows that craft can accelerate at hypersonic speeds. They're interpretations in lieu of explanations.

    You have an idea, and so do I. But neither of us have supporting evidence.
     
  8. DaveC426913 Valued Senior Member

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    I am really intrigued though. And I can't see any way I can explore it but re-enacting the setup.

    Can you narrow down the specs to re-enact it? Anything that might affect the optics. Position of light(s)? Number of lights? Colour of lights? Type (halogen/incandescent/fluorescent)? Colour of walls? What factors have no effect, what factors are critical?
     
  9. Neddy Bate Valued Senior Member

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    Yes! That plausible mechanism is exactly what I am trying to form. Reflection, refraction, and diffraction are all probably playing their parts. Blocking is only partial, due to the water being translucent.

    I don't claim to have the whole answer, that is actually what I was asking for help with!

    Wegs said she was able to replicate the experiment. The scientific method involves specifying the details of the experiment, and then having others replicate it, test it, and try to explain it.
     
  10. Neddy Bate Valued Senior Member

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    This is awesome! I was just posting that I would be happy to help you with the details to see it for yourself, then I saw that you posted that would be interested in those details. I will do a summary of the pertinent details.
     
  11. Neddy Bate Valued Senior Member

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    Anything not mentioned in the following steps probably has no effect, such as colour of walls, etc.

    ...

    1. Start with a hand-held mirror, so that you can test holding it in different positions (more details about where to try holding it are given in steps 5 thru 9).

    2. Make sure the mirror is clean, because if it is covered with calcium deposits from being in the shower all the time, then it will make it very hard to see the pupil effect.

    3. You should be able to use whatever lighting is already installed in your bathroom, regardless of the type or location.

    4. Stand in the shower stall with your back toward the light source, and the shower stream in front of you.

    5. Hold the mirror on the far side of the shower stream, and look into it.

    6. Hold the mirror in a place where the shower stream in front of it appears plentiful in the mirror, so at least one of your eyes appears obscured by the water in the shower stream.

    7. The light source behind you should NOT be visible in the mirror, so you may have to make some fine adjustments.

    8. For example, the shower stream tends to be more plentiful higher up toward the shower head, and if you hold the mirror up there you probably won't see the light source in the mirror, so that is probably a good way to try it (this worked for me just now as I was testing it in a different shower).

    9. Keep looking at your eyes as you try finding the best location for the mirror and yourself.

    10. You should see a black dot over at least one of your pupils, (maybe both if you're lucky), and it will be there despite the fact that the shower stream appears to be covering your eye, in fact the black dot appears to cut through, or hover in front of, the shower stream.
     
  12. Beaconator Valued Senior Member

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    Your possessed and need an exorcism.
     

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