Mike Raiford wrote:
> They are, sort of. In the real world, highlights would be caused by very 
> fine irregularities on the surface. 

You don't even need fine irregularities. Quantum randomness would be enough.

Conductive metal reflects shiney because there's a "layer" of free electrons 
floating between atoms, and they interact with the light in a much 
"smoother" way than electrons interacting with electrons bound to atoms. So 
being conductive is caused by the same thing as being reflectively shiny.

Of course, if the surface isn't smooth to start with, you're unlikely to see 
a mirror-like reflection to start with. But you're going to have a hard time 
polishing untreated wood to a shine no matter how smooth you make it, and if 
you start getting something like fluorescence, you start seeing that 
reflections aren't really "bouncing" light at all, but light that's absorbed 
and re-emitted..

-- 
   Darren New, San Diego CA, USA (PST)
   The NFL should go international. I'd pay to
   see the Detroit Lions vs the Roman Catholics.

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