An inverse pseudosphere lens from a swimming pool drain. In the context of relativity, massive objects can "bend" light, forming Einstein rings, which behave like lenses, as in the case of the pseudosphere lens. In the case of a black hole, the properties of Minkowsky's spacetime are altered by the presence of mass, causing it to curve around itself as if it were a lens. We also observed the reverse shape of this pseudosphere lens causing space-time distortion as the lines of this pool projected onto the surface of the water.
—Alberto Tufaile, Soft Matter Lab, EACH-USP, Sao Paulo, Brazil
01 Dec 2023