Now this is a very interesting and rather unique Exchange Puzzle. I received the Double Vision from Allan Slocum at this year’s IPP38 in San Diego. Is it even a mechanical puzzle? Well I suppose it is. After all, there is a pretty neat trick to the solution too.
The goal of Double Vision “is to see an undistorted single image of the IPP38 Logo through the “glass” rhombohedron enclosed”. Now what is a rhombohedron you might ask?. Well, it looks like the object below, a sort of slanted cube. The meaning is here.
Double Vision comes in a cardboard packaging which contains a wooden box with sliding lid. Inside is a block of glass rhombohedron and instructions. The wooden box is well constructed with the IPP38 logo printed on a card sitting nicely at the bottom of the box. The block of glass itself looked like it was something extracted from mother earth. It was rough at the edges and not completely clear and see through. In fact it was a bit cloudy on the inside. But still clear enough to see the distorted IPP38 logo. Dimensionally the puzzle is 8.5cm x 8.5cm x 5cm.
Notice the double image through the glass?Bottom of the cardboard box has a clear plastic see-through window (not obvious in the photo) I wonder what that is for?
Following the instructions, I looked through the Rhombohedron and indeed saw a double image of the IPP38 Logo. I have no idea what is the scientific explanation for this phenomenon. But I needed to see a single image so I turned and flipped the glass on each of its six sides and held the glass in all sorts of ways. But all I saw was still the “distorted double image”.
Well, like I mentioned in the beginning, there is a trick to this puzzle and of course being the dense one here, it eluded me. I looked at the solution supplied and yes, now I could quite clearly see undistorted single image of the IPP38 Logo through the glass. What a neat and cool puzzle!
It’s actually called “TV Stone” and has a unique property that displays whatever image is underneath it, above it. Great use or a minerals inherent property to create a puzzle!!
If you want learn more about double refraction go to https://www.britannica.com/science/double-refraction
My piece of calcite is cleaner, it is calcite isn’t it? I didn’t have much trouble solving the puzzle, but I am part physicist I suppose.
George, I have no idea if its Calcite or not.
Thank you for the review. The window in the cardboard box is to see the label on the bottom of the puzzle.
It’s actually called “TV Stone” and has a unique property that displays whatever image is underneath it, above it. Great use or a minerals inherent property to create a puzzle!!