What would it look like?

What would it look like if you were to make a large sphere out of a mirror or some kind of reflective surface and stood inside it with a flashlight. Preferably there would be no hatch, because then all the sides wouldn't be smooth, but either way what would this look like? When you stand in between 2 mirrors it looks fucking crazy, so I imagine this would be even crazier.

I've asked a lot of people this question and no ones really given me a good answer.

I suppose it would be illuminated forever if nothing else was in there. But if you were to stand in there, then you would absorb the light and the light die out.

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Originally Posted by stonedape

What would it look like if you were to make a large sphere out of a mirror or some kind of reflective surface and stood inside it with a flashlight. Preferably there would be no hatch, because then all the sides wouldn't be smooth, but either way what would this look like? When you stand in between 2 mirrors it looks fucking crazy, so I imagine this would be even crazier.

I've asked a lot of people this question and no ones really given me a good answer.

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Sphere geometry dictates that all light rays will eventually bounce back to the centre, but from locations all around the sphere. So it will look uniformly illuminated.

So all would you see a reflection of only light? Would it be like blinding light? Would you see yourself at all? Or would all the light be absorbed and you would'nt see any kind of reflection?

It sounds to me like drew is saying that you would see a low level of light equally everywhere. But I would think that the light would bounce off equally everywhere and reflect back I really distorted image of yourself.

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Originally Posted by stonedape

So all would you see a reflection of only light? Would it be like blinding light? Would you see yourself at all? Or would all the light be absorbed and you would'nt see any kind of reflection?

It sounds to me like drew is saying that you would see a low level of light equally everywhere. But I would think that the light would bounce off equally everywhere and reflect back I really distorted image of yourself.

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Because the sphere is perfect, you would see a dull homogeneous illumination everywhere. You would not see yourself. And as soon as the batteries in the flashlight run out of energy, the light would turn to complete darkness.

As soon as anything but the mirror and light are in there, the light will die down because it'll be absorbed.

And in terms of the intensity of light, it depends how much you put in there.

It's funny that you guys have answers that you seem certain of, but my high school physics teacher just said I don't know, that's a good question.

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Originally Posted by stonedape

It's funny that you guys have answers that you seem certain of, but my high school physics teacher just said I don't know, that's a good question.

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First of all, high school teachers don't know much in general. It's rare to find one that's actually an expert in the thing they're teaching. Second, even if they do know, they tend to patronize, meaning they would say things like "good question".

I wouldn't say I'm certain. But from what I know about physics, that's what I would hypothesize.

Also, mirrors don't reflect all the light. They still let a tiny little bit through. If you stick your eye up to a one-way windo, you can actually see through it.

I think the question assumes an ideal mirror. (Reflects ALL light.)

So would you only be able to see a dim light and yourself(not reflected, just by looking directly)?

You know... I could do this in CG. :idea:

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Originally Posted by Kushna Mufeed

I think the question assumes an ideal mirror. (Reflects ALL light.)

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Exactly what I was going to say ;). But since this is not true of most mirrors (well, probably all mirrors, although certain other technologies such as fiber optic cables contain glass which reflects nearly all light), I think it would be fair to approach the question with or without this assumption. And without this assumption, I think the answer is a lot less interesting: it would probably just light up the sphere comparably to a lamp.

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Originally Posted by ninja9578

You know... I could do this in CG. :idea:

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That'd be pretty cool. Would you be able to go in and make slight alterations and stuff? Like put holes in it, or slice patterns? I've had this idea of the mirror sphere for a while. It originated from the idea of a roller coaster sized pinball machine where you would sit inside the ball while other people play.

ADD+high school religion class= wildly running imaginations.

damn stoners trying to duel with hard questions.

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Originally Posted by stonedape

That'd be pretty cool. Would you be able to go in and make slight alterations and stuff? Like put holes in it, or slice patterns? I've had this idea of the mirror sphere for a while. It originated from the idea of a roller coaster sized pinball machine where you would sit inside the ball while other people play.

ADD+high school religion class= wildly running imaginations.

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Yep... rendering now.

If you are in the exact centre of the sphere, you see nothing but white. But it gets interesting when you move a tiny bit. You see a ring of reflections around you, about a third of the way up and the grey vertical bar appears because all of the light is congregating to the centre, so you get glancing rays from directly in from of you, not direct rays, which is why it's grey instead of white. Kinda trippy.

The thing on the bottom is the nose of the character that I used, that's int he foreground, not the reflection.
http://img184.imageshack.us/img184/9550/picture1bh0.png

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Originally Posted by ninja9578

If you are in the exact centre of the sphere, you see nothing but white.

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Originally Posted by drewmandan

Because the sphere is perfect, you would see a dull homogeneous illumination everywhere. You would not see yourself. And as soon as the batteries in the flashlight run out of energy, the light would turn to complete darkness.

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Eat it.

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Originally Posted by drewmandan

First of all, high school teachers don't know much in general. It's rare to find one that's actually an expert in the thing they're teaching. Second, even if they do know, they tend to patronize, meaning they would say things like "good question".

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Why listen to a teacher when you can listen to drew...

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Originally Posted by DeathCell

Why listen to a teacher when you can listen to drew...

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I'm currently studying math in university. I'm willing to bet that if you pitted me against 10 high school math teachers in a contest of mathematical knowledge, I would beat at least 6 of them.

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Originally Posted by drewmandan

I'm currently studying math in university. I'm willing to bet that if you pitted me against 10 high school math teachers in a contest of mathematical knowledge, I would beat at least 6 of them.

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Egotistical much?

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Originally Posted by Kushna Mufeed

I think the question assumes an ideal mirror. (Reflects ALL light.)

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In that case, I'm going with your theory.

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Originally Posted by ninja9578

If you are in the exact centre of the sphere, you see nothing but white. But it gets interesting when you move a tiny bit. You see a ring of reflections around you, about a third of the way up and the grey vertical bar appears because all of the light is congregating to the centre, so you get glancing rays from directly in from of you, not direct rays, which is why it's grey instead of white. Kinda trippy.

The thing on the bottom is the nose of the character that I used, that's int he foreground, not the reflection.
http://img184.imageshack.us/img184/9550/picture1bh0.png

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Ninja, can you post more pics of that at different positions? It seems interesting.

So would the spot where you point the light be brighter? Can you make the point of view different from the direction of the light in those things ninja? It'd be intersting.

Also, did I just ask the same question as Kushna?