I recently participated again in the annual UNCC Science and Technology Expo, showing off neat science demos to the public. This year, I decided to add a table of “Optics and Illusions,” to show how science and our own brains can be used to trick us. Of all the cute tricks I showed, however, none was as popular as the Mirascope that I purchased for $9!
The device produces a clever optical illusion; I recently purchased a slightly larger version of the Mirascope, and a video of it in action is below. (Apologies for the quality; I had a hard time trying to focus on the image. I’ll post a better video as soon as I can take one.)
A small object placed within the device produces an image that appears to hover right over the central hole. The video does not even do the effect justice; it is really something one needs to see for oneself. Both the Mirascope and its larger competition bill themselves as “holograms,” though the effect is not a true hologram in any sense of the word! Rather, it is a clever implementation of simple geometrical optics. Explaining how it works is an excellent opportunity to talk about some basics of light propagation, and how light forms images.
Skulls in the Stars 