Communities

Writing
Writing
Codidact Meta
Codidact Meta
The Great Outdoors
The Great Outdoors
Photography & Video
Photography & Video
Scientific Speculation
Scientific Speculation
Cooking
Cooking
Electrical Engineering
Electrical Engineering
Judaism
Judaism
Languages & Linguistics
Languages & Linguistics
Software Development
Software Development
Mathematics
Mathematics
Christianity
Christianity
Code Golf
Code Golf
Music
Music
Physics
Physics
Linux Systems
Linux Systems
Power Users
Power Users
Tabletop RPGs
Tabletop RPGs
Community Proposals
Community Proposals
tag:snake search within a tag
answers:0 unanswered questions
user:xxxx search by author id
score:0.5 posts with 0.5+ score
"snake oil" exact phrase
votes:4 posts with 4+ votes
created:<1w created < 1 week ago
post_type:xxxx type of post
Search help
Notifications
Mark all as read See all your notifications »
Q&A

Post History

33%
+0 −2
Q&A Why can someone observe light, even when the light fails to illume that someone?

I never grokked the optics behind LightHouses and the WW2 poster below work. LightHouse beams are narrow and focussed. Doubtless, the light source can fail to illumine a seafarer or the enemy subm...

1 answer  ·  posted 2y ago by TextKit‭  ·  last activity 2y ago by Olin Lathrop‭

Question light
#3: Post edited by user avatar TextKit‭ · 2022-04-24T17:34:47Z (over 2 years ago)
  • I never grokked the optics behind LightHouses and the WW2 poster below work. [LightHouse beams](https://thumbs.dreamstime.com/b/lighthouse-night-beacon-lighting-dark-sky-31776521.jpg) are [narrow and focussed](https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.pinterest.com%2Fpin%2F464785624045719588%2F&psig=AOvVaw2j4coc8P7Gt-N1oAJ4B6rL&ust=1650907865579000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CA0QjhxqFwoTCPjWo5idrfcCFQAAAAAdAAAAABAJ).
  • Doubtless, the light source can fail to illumine a seafarer or the enemy submarine. But then how can the seafarer or enemy sailors behold your light source?
  • It counters intuition that although a light fails to illumine someone, that observer can still behold the light source! **Can you please correct my intuition?**
  • _**I never studied science after secondary school. Please explain like I am (1)5.**_
  • ![](https://thumbs.dreamstime.com/b/lighthouse-night-beacon-lighting-dark-sky-31776521.jpg)
  • ![](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/c7/7c/d2/c77cd278568a362200d17cfe48db62a4.png)
  • ![](https://townsquare.media/site/959/files/2020/08/TheBeet-Product-Image-Template-2-copy.jpeg?w=630&q=75)
  • ![](https://preview.redd.it/epm131sfnj931.jpg?auto=webp&s=5611303541c2a852364e5c94b3c62d37c23746fc)
  • I never studied science after secondary education. Please explain like I am (1)5.
  • I never grokked the optics behind LightHouses and the WW2 poster below work. [LightHouse beams](https://thumbs.dreamstime.com/b/lighthouse-night-beacon-lighting-dark-sky-31776521.jpg) are [narrow and focussed](https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.pinterest.com%2Fpin%2F464785624045719588%2F&psig=AOvVaw2j4coc8P7Gt-N1oAJ4B6rL&ust=1650907865579000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CA0QjhxqFwoTCPjWo5idrfcCFQAAAAAdAAAAABAJ).
  • Doubtless, the light source can fail to illumine a seafarer or the enemy submarine. But then how can the seafarer or enemy sailors behold your light source?
  • It counters intuition that although a light fails to illumine someone, that observer can still behold the light source! **Can you please correct my intuition?**
  • _**I never studied science after secondary school. Please explain like I am (1)5.**_
  • ![](https://thumbs.dreamstime.com/b/lighthouse-night-beacon-lighting-dark-sky-31776521.jpg)
  • ![](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/c7/7c/d2/c77cd278568a362200d17cfe48db62a4.png)
  • ![](https://townsquare.media/site/959/files/2020/08/TheBeet-Product-Image-Template-2-copy.jpeg?w=630&q=75)
  • ![](https://preview.redd.it/epm131sfnj931.jpg?auto=webp&s=5611303541c2a852364e5c94b3c62d37c23746fc)
#2: Post edited by user avatar TextKit‭ · 2022-04-24T17:32:21Z (over 2 years ago)
  • I never grokked the optics behind LightHouses and the WW2 poster below work. Doubtless, the light source can fail to illumine a seafarer or the enemy submarine. But then how can the seafarer or enemy sailors behold your light source?
  • It counters intuition that although a light fails to illumine someone, that observer can still behold the light source! **Can you please correct my intuition?**
  • _**I never studied science after secondary school. Please explain like I am (1)5.**_
  • ![](https://townsquare.media/site/959/files/2020/08/TheBeet-Product-Image-Template-2-copy.jpeg?w=630&q=75)
  • I never studied science after secondary education. Please explain like I am (1)5.
  • I never grokked the optics behind LightHouses and the WW2 poster below work. [LightHouse beams](https://thumbs.dreamstime.com/b/lighthouse-night-beacon-lighting-dark-sky-31776521.jpg) are [narrow and focussed](https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.pinterest.com%2Fpin%2F464785624045719588%2F&psig=AOvVaw2j4coc8P7Gt-N1oAJ4B6rL&ust=1650907865579000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CA0QjhxqFwoTCPjWo5idrfcCFQAAAAAdAAAAABAJ).
  • Doubtless, the light source can fail to illumine a seafarer or the enemy submarine. But then how can the seafarer or enemy sailors behold your light source?
  • It counters intuition that although a light fails to illumine someone, that observer can still behold the light source! **Can you please correct my intuition?**
  • _**I never studied science after secondary school. Please explain like I am (1)5.**_
  • ![](https://thumbs.dreamstime.com/b/lighthouse-night-beacon-lighting-dark-sky-31776521.jpg)
  • ![](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/c7/7c/d2/c77cd278568a362200d17cfe48db62a4.png)
  • ![](https://townsquare.media/site/959/files/2020/08/TheBeet-Product-Image-Template-2-copy.jpeg?w=630&q=75)
  • ![](https://preview.redd.it/epm131sfnj931.jpg?auto=webp&s=5611303541c2a852364e5c94b3c62d37c23746fc)
  • I never studied science after secondary education. Please explain like I am (1)5.
#1: Initial revision by user avatar TextKit‭ · 2022-04-24T17:26:07Z (over 2 years ago)
Why can someone observe light, even when the light fails to illume that someone? 
I never grokked the optics behind LightHouses and the WW2 poster below work. Doubtless, the light source can fail to illumine a seafarer or the enemy submarine. But then how can the seafarer or enemy sailors behold your light source?

It counters intuition that although a light fails to illumine someone, that observer can still behold the light source! **Can you please correct my intuition?**

_**I never studied science after secondary school. Please explain like I am (1)5.**_


![](https://townsquare.media/site/959/files/2020/08/TheBeet-Product-Image-Template-2-copy.jpeg?w=630&q=75)

I never studied science after secondary education. Please explain like I am (1)5.