Two Way Mirror Blog
Off-the-Wall Uses for Two-way Mirrors
July 11th, 2009
Everybody knows about the most common uses for two-way mirrors - for security and secret observation in various manners - but there are also some pretty strange ways out there that people are making use of them. While some of the ways two-way mirrors are being used are intriguing, some are just bizarre. You be the judge.
One of the most visible ways that two-way mirrors are being used these days are in reality television. Reality TV is all the rage right now; and what better way to get candid footage than with a two-way mirror? The reality show Big Brother, for instance, makes extended use of two-way mirrors so that the film crew can catch every last juicy bit of drama that unfolds in the house. The walls of the Big Brother house are practically covered with two-way mirrors. Other reality TV shows are a little more surreptitious in their use of two-way mirrors, but in many of them many of the mirrors on the set are two-way.
Another great way two-way mirrors are being used are to accentuate an entertainment system. Special two-way mirrors exist called tv mirrors that allow you to hide your flat panel television behind them. Your remote will work through these special mirrors, and whenever you're ready to watch TV, just point and click, and your mirror becomes a television! People have even been putting these types of mirror/television combos in their bathrooms! In these cases, usually only half the mirror is used as a TV (when it's on, that is), so that you can brush your teeth, comb your hair, and shave while watching the morning news! It's pretty out there, but as more and more people are "on the go," you have to multi-task in whatever way you can!
Two-way mirrors are also used in science, as a part of optical instruments such as telescopes, microscopes and cameras. In this instance, the two-way mirror is referred to as a half-silvered mirror or beam splitter. Its function in this instance is to split a beam of light so that half of it passes through and the other half is reflected. If you think about it, this is essentially what two-way mirrors always do, since vision is based on the reflection of light.
Another way that two-way mirrors have been put to ingenious use is in a teleprompter. In this application, a two-way mirror pane goes over the camera lens, making the camera essentially the "viewer." The words that the actor, politician, or other individual is reading are then projected onto the mirrored side of the two-way mirror so that they can read it while still appearing to look into the camera. This allows the reader to see the words without the audience ever knowing that they are there.
So here's the point to take home with you: two-way mirrors are not just for leisure activities or security. While these applications are great and will continue to see use for some time, there are many other ways to sue two-way mirrors - such as in science - that actually serve to improve the lives of people the world over.