I prefer my enantiomer, thank you.

Handedness, chirality, enantiomers. I've been thinking about this a lot. I think that I am right about it, however, it's the same feeling one gets when they hear their recorded voice and think to themselves "that isn't how I sound, is it?" But, the truth is, that is how you sound to everyone but you. This feeling, this truth, extends to how we see things also. I wouldn't have felt so strongly about it except for the following observation, which I will tell through an easy experiment that can be done with a MacBook (I think it may work for other programs, but I haven't tested it).

A better handle on photogenicity (or figuring out your best smile) can be attained with the program Photo Booth. If you look into the camera then take a picture, the picture saved will be the mirror image of what you see. I tilt my head right, but the picture tilts my head left. What you see in the mirror is flipped horizontally from real life. In other words, if you look in the mirror - freeze that image there and try to superimpose yourself (turn around and match up you with the freeze frame) it's impossible. An even simpler image is to face your left and right hand palm to palm. Now try to flip your right hand the same way as your left and match finger for finger - cannot be done since your thumb and pinky will be in each other's way.

So that's chirality. And I'm very comfortable saying that I prefer my enantiomer. I tried parting my hair on the other side to trick myself into looking more like what I saw, but to no avail. I still prefer my mirror image. As I've said, I've thought about this a lot, and after giving up the fact that I can't trick or bypass reality, I've gotten used to it. It's an easy excuse for why I don't like how I look in pictures most of the time, why I sometimes feel like something is a little off, etc. I just expect to see the enantiomeric me, and I keep seeing the wrong one. I'm getting used to it, the same way I finally am used to my voice. Don't get me wrong, this is a simple truth that I've known about forever, but there's not been so obvious an example until my recent MacBook purchase.

Readers, I am leaving you with an image of my enantiomeric face. Just realize that the one you are used to, is not the me I prefer. But, I can't blame you for that; it is simply the reality of chirality.



Comments

Heidi said…
I think both are gorgeous actually : ).
1:09 AM
SamYam said…
ʇɐɥɔ ɐ ɹoɟ ǝnpɹǝʌo ǝɹɐ ǝʍ
2:44 PM
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