[Bernard Underwood]

Bernard Underwood asked the Naked Scientists:
   
Why can some people, in a certain light, have fingers that reflect light?

What do you think?

[Kryptid]

I'm not sure what you're trying to ask. Everyone's fingers reflect light to some degree. Otherwise, they would either be jet black (complete absorption of light) or invisible (no interaction with light).

[Chemistry4me]

Maybe they just have really shiny and nicely polished nails? []

[Chemistry4me]

Like this?

[lyner]

I think you mean 'transmit light' - not 'reflect light'.

[Chemistry4me]

Or like? []

[bookslinger]

They certainly slightly magnify light - would this not be do with the fact they are slightly translucent and therefore almost work like a frosty glass?

[tony6789]

I'm not sure what you're trying to ask. Everyone's fingers reflect light to some degree. Otherwise, they would either be jet black (complete absorption of light) or invisible (no interaction with light).

then does pretty much everything reflect light?? (exluding space, blackholes etc.)

[Bored chemist]

I'm not sure what you're trying to ask. Everyone's fingers reflect light to some degree. Otherwise, they would either be jet black (complete absorption of light) or invisible (no interaction with light).

then does pretty much everything reflect light?? (exluding space, blackholes etc.)

Yes.

[RD]

Do I get brownie points for mentioning that human skin emits light: ultra weak bioluminescence...
 

The typical detected magnitude of "biophotons" in the visible and ultraviolet spectrum ranges from a few up to several hundred photons per second per square centimeter of surface area, much weaker than in the openly visible and well-researched phenomenon of normal bioluminescence

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biophoton

[Chemistry4me]

Here, have a karma point on me. []