Mirrors don't flip words, we flip them!

A MinutePhysics special in which Henry shows one of his favourite small demos.

[Nako]

This changed my life and I do not know what I should do next.

[Ardeleus]

This proves that you can explain a concept to even a kid if you understand it well enough

It simply gets increasingly difficult to do so, to the point of unrealistic from the sheer mastery of ideas that would be required

[miriamrosemary]

This was the best and most concise explanation I've seen to explain this!
While I knew this, I learned it from more cumbersome explanations that took me quite a long time to figure out. So thanks for making it easier for others!

[Ryan_Gala]

The mirror DOES flip things. Point at a mirror and the mirror image will be pointing the other way. So the mirror doesn’t flip LEFT and RIGHT, it flips FORWARD and BACKWARD.

[GBA]

This is the best explanation for ‘why do mirrors flip images’ I have found in YouTube
This needs more views

[rizzskibidiedge]

instructions unclear, accidentally shattered the mirror, passed out and shat on the floor.

[GwnTim]

Seeing non-flipped words in a mirror feels wrong somehow

[Brandon-tinv]

I think the idea that mirrors flip things comes from the way that they show what you see and not what someone looking at you sees

[Neptoid]

As Vsauce said: mirrors flip backwards and forwards not left and right

[BRZ_ZLLY]

"Word!" so inspiring, that changed my life, I now have 5 kids a a wife, thank you.

[LatterDay-Soldier]

At this moment I realize we are truly 3d beings

[shawn.spencer]

Finding this out gives the same feeling as finding out that you never "bite down" you're always biting up

[cyrnogen]

Okay, I woke up and this short just broke my brain again

[TheTechAdmin]

I tried explaining this to my ENTIRE family back in 2014 during a Christmas party.
I then used my phone to better explain. I said the rear camera was like seeing through your eye and the front facing was like seeing through the back of your eye.
With that analogy, at least 40% of the family (of about 30 people) understood what I was saying.

[merlinthewizard]

Once my niece is old enough to comprehend thoughts, I'm tripping her out with this

[frgal]

The easiest way to understand a mirror is it flips forwards and backwards. Sort of like turning the image inside out. That’s why a transparent object works - the backside of the writing appears normal in the mirror, because the side we aren’t seeing IS flipped from us, in the EXACT way a mirror would flip it.

[senior_pilot]

Mordi! Your just flipping the textbook Mordi!

[philippeamon]

This is why parts of a shield are called dexter and sinistre, instead of left and right, which would depend on what side of the shield you're on.

[arkarts]

Wow that is such a simple concept I can’t believe I didn’t think of it like that. It makes complete sense. Sometimes things that seem mind bending have such reasonable explanations.

[DAMDO]

it operates on "my left is your right, and vice versa" logic but in reverse (so.. "my left is the mirror's left?"")
if a word is printed on a shirt, it is printed from left to right, to the perceiver, but from right to left to the wearer.. so if the wearer looks in the mirror, it shows the text from right to left..
this confuses the wearer because we first have to ask ourselves: what is front, what is back.. and what is the POV and who is the one who's supposed to read?
if the wearer looks at the text on the shirt (not through a mirror but by tilting their head) the text is written from right to left, and upside down.. but "my left is my left and my right is my right, so how does that work" because you're not the one who's supposed to read it..
so yes, the word doesn't get flipped by the mirror and neither do you.. it just looks that way because the mirror is not the receiver's POV, it is the wearer's reflector.. in a mirror, your left is still your left..