White paper: Through the looking glass

The Story of Alice’s Quest for Emissivity

“It’s all done with mirrors!’’

“What do I see when I look in my mirror?” asked Alice. “I see myself, of course.”

“But what about the mirror why can’t I see the mirror itself” she pondered. “Maybe it’s because the mirror is invisible? Na, if it were, I would be able to see the wall behind it.” Just then she had an idea, “I know, if I put spots of crayon on the mirror, then I can see the mirror!”

She put spots of crayon on the mirror and sure enough, she could see the mirror, wherever she put the spots! “The crayon spots are now part of the mirror, and I can see them!” “Hmm . . .” she thought. “I still can’t see the whole mirror. All I can see is the part covered by the spots. In between, I still see my face, not the mirror.”

A magical white rabbit who had been watching Alice appeared and said, “Why, my dear girl, you are almost there! A little further and you will understand the concept of EMISSIVITY!”

“Emissivity?” queried Alice. “What is that?”

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