On (not) explaining stereoscopic vision to a 6 year old. At midnight.

Last night was the first night all week I could shut my brain off and go to sleep at a reasonable hour, I was in bed at 9 and happily sound asleep soon there after.

Midnight:

H: "Muuuuummmmmmy? I have sweat all over my head, can I come sleep with you?"

My eyes flutter open regretfully... Sigh... toss...silence

H: "Besiiiiiides, I have a question I need to ask you."

T: "Ooookay... come on then little guy."

Sound of feet hitting the floor and padding down the hall ....dragging 2 blankets, a pillow, the stuffed kitty and a few dust bunnies. He climbed quietly up under the sheet on the other side of the bed and laid there with his eyes open in the semi-dark for a few minutes.

H: "Mummy, how come everything we see looks together, but we are seeing out of two eyes?"

T: "Honey I'm not sure I can explain it right now. We can look it up together in the morning."

H: "That's Okay. I can Google it" He slipped out of bed and padded towards my computer.

I am wide awake now, interested to see what he is going to do...

Silence for a few minutes...

H: "It says here that when you look at something, each eye has a slightly different view of it. Your left eye sees a little more of the left side of an object, while your right eye sees a little more of the right side, then each eye gives your brain a different image. Your brain automatically uses this information to put the two flat images together to look three-dimensional. It's called...stereoscopic."

I sit bolt upright.

T: "That's incredible Henry."

H: "I know. I sure do ask good questions for a kid, huh Mummy?"

____

P.S. This morning when he got up, I let Henry read this blog and he made me make the following corrections:

"I didn't say, I have sweat all over my head, can I come sleep with you? I said that I was uncomfortable in my bed and wanted to come sleep with you."

AND " I said, "Mummy, how come everything we see looks together, but we are seeing out of two seperate eyes?"

I stand corrected.