The infinity box by Matt Elson
Stand in front of the box and look through the opening. What do you see?
What happened?
When you look into the box, your face is reflected in the mirrors inside. The light bounces between the mirrors many times, creating several images of you. It looks like you are standing in a tunnel surrounded by many copies of yourself.
Learn more!
The sun and lamps send out light in all directions. That light bounces off objects around us and then reaches our eyes. When our brain interprets the light, we are able to see!
When you stand in front of a mirror, you see yourself. This is because the light from you bounces off the mirror's surface and back into your eyes.
This box contains several mirrors at specific angles. The light bounces back and forth between the mirrors and therefore reaches your eyes from different directions. Therefore, you can see many mirror images at the same time - as if there are several of you in the room!
The patterns formed in the box can be described using mathematical concepts such as geometry and symmetry. These are mathematical concepts that deal with shapes, angles and repetition, among other things.
Try it again
Ask someone else to stand and look in from the other side. Now you can see each other in the mirrors. Try moving your head, making a face or blinking. What changes? How many faces can you count?