puzzling symmetries

A mini-post

A friend sent a short video of her seven year old asking about mirrors.  Mirrors were a huge puzzle for me at that age.  They would swap left and right, but not up and down.  How did they know?  You could rotate a mirror, but it was always the left and right swapping.  I worried about it on and off for a few months. My parents couldn't help and my teacher couldn't either.  

 

I won't spell it out as it's a neat problem to think about if you haven't already.  After puzzling about it for a few months and then mostly forgetting about it, I was helping my mother wash the dishes.  Finishing, I pulled off a rubber glove and watched it go inside-out.  Suddenly I had the answer. Without realizing it I had learned a bit about symmetry and I also had the thrill of working out something by myself. It was worth the time I spent befuddled and all of the silly drawings I made. 

 

Later I learned you can ask deeper questions about mirrors and that symmetry was a big thing. I also learned you have to pick your questions - why does a mirror switch left and right, but not top and bottom is one I could work out.  How does a mirror work is seriously more involved, but I'd get there with time and work.   In a way the mirror puzzle was a gateway drug.  What were your gateway questions?  I think they can appear at any age. 

 

 

Comments

[Jheri]

You continue to amaze me;)