Friday, June 28, 2013

Law, Order and the Looking Glass

June 26, 2013

The lawman stands behind the two-way mirror and watches, waiting for the accused to make himself a fool, hoping for an act of self-incrimination. And the accuser, the eye-witness, stands bravely behind another half-silvered glass and picks out the guilty. And this all works because the lawman and the accuser are in the dark, whereas the accused is in a space brightly lit. If the dark place is illuminated, the lawman and the witness will see their own reflections in the mirror. If the accused puts his face close to the glass, he may then be able to see who is after him.

When it comes to looking glass, it doesn't matter which side you are on. What you see depends a great deal on whether you are standing in the light or the dark.


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