Perhaps it is a combination of the two forementioned effects that make it so clear - the reflection is less in intensity, so it saturates the retina less? Could this make the reflected image sharper?
Yes, this is what I imagined too. Thanks for the affirmation. However, I have two conceptual problems with this answer also. First, event though I am sure it can be proven, I can't picture in my head how it is that the diffused component gets "cancelled". Fact is that totally linearly polarized...
Hmm... this may be right in some cases - I think the effect would happen even with a weak light source, i.e. a candle. How small of a light source would saturate the retina?
Another comment - this explanation is valid for a nonfoggy night, but in a foggy night I think the reflection should...
Think of this one (you can test it) - it's a foggy night and you are approaching a sreet light under which is a puddle of water. Beacuse of the fog you see a diffuse image when looking directly at the light, however, when looking at the reflection, yoe see a clear, sharp image. Why? Can anyone...
By the way, my results were 10,12 and 14. But I created a single square, not the whole spatial pattern. I kinda thought it should be that way because of the example shown on the test --- it shows just a square (even though the word he uses IS pattern)!