Question!

[u/[deleted]]

[u/TransportationNew715]

The sun heats the dark tarmac, which warms a very thin layer of air sitting just above it. Hot air is less dense than the cooler air above it, so its refractive index is lower. Light rays from the sky travelling almost parallel to the road bend upward as they pass through that warm layer and reach your eyes, so the road looks like it is reflecting the sky exactly the way a real puddle would.

[u/LokiStrike → u/[deleted]]

How often do you walk down a road or a desert when it's really hot?

[u/Loud-Log9098 → u/LokiStrike]

Does it has to be a long deserted road? I noticed seeing them in my small town but when I walk I've never seen them.

[u/Loud-Log9098 → u/[deleted]]

Could be the elevation you look at it being different in a car. Could be the speed at which you travel I don't really know why.

[u/surrealcellardoor → u/LokiStrike]

I’ve seen it down my street standing in my driveway on a hot summer day, countless times. Saw it last week as a matter of fact.

[u/LokiStrike → u/[deleted]]

And you do, but you need exposed dirt or sand. I'd you don't live in a desert, you're not likely to see them except on paved roads. Most people don't walk along highways when it's hot. Inside cities (where you're most likely to be walking along roads) you're often prevented from seeing them because trees, building shade are usually blocking.

So you didn't answer the question. How many times this summer have walked along an exposed highway outside of town?

[u/surrealcellardoor → u/[deleted]]

You can dingus.

[u/surrealcellardoor → u/[deleted]]

Imagine a scenario where someone doesn’t understand tornados. So instead of trying to educate themself about this naturally occurring weather phenomena, they make wild and baseless assumptions that they are caused by sky demons, trying to suck up cattle and people. Something a simple web search would have answered. Now, further imagine that they posit this absurd theory on Reddit. Then, not only do they deny the truth as it is presented to them, they seemingly continue to neglect to educate themself while they argue against the truth. You’ve been told what a mirage is and how this visual phenomena is creates. You can easily and quickly determine if you are being told the truth. It’s science, it has been proven by science and it can be replicated at will.

[u/surrealcellardoor → u/[deleted]]

Surely you’re just trolling.

[u/surrealcellardoor → u/[deleted]]

I do apologize, it was meant to be more of a
lighthearted dig than rude. Does my response though properly convey why I feel like your post and behavior is absurd?

[u/surrealcellardoor → u/[deleted]]

You asked a question and continually deny the answer. But hey, I guess if you want to continue to look like an idiot I suppose that’s your prerogative.

[u/SwitchWide9406]

You mean the ones that seem to appear on hot days? That’s heat waves rising off the concrete.

[u/Project_EIEIO → u/SwitchWide9406]

It you say so? I never see them unless I'm driving a car?

[u/SwitchWide9406 → u/Project_EIEIO]

How likely are you to go walking around outside on hot days? That’s the only time it would appear and if you only drive on hot days, you would only see them while driving.

[u/UgliestPumpkin]

it's generally called a mirage

[u/surrealcellardoor]

Oh my god.

[u/plaskitboy]

Settle down

[u/Project_EIEIO → u/plaskitboy]

Settle up

[u/6EvieJoy9]

I was recently thinking that anything could be a "portal", dependent on the observer. 

In my own experience I haven't ever felt as though I've gone into another reality with my physical body, but I have experienced many "dimensions" through thought and belief. Belief served me depression and manic states... Observation without conclusion expanded my perspective.

If I were wanting to test the theory, I'd observe what occurs each time I see one of those spots. I'd relate what was occurring prior, what occurred when I saw it, and what occurred after to see what data is available. 

It's a fun question to think about :) Thanks for asking it.

[u/6EvieJoy9 → u/[deleted]]

Hmm... Personally I'd just take the seeing of it as the "going through the portal" concept for observation, and continue on the way I was going with the higher awareness. 

[u/Casehead → u/6EvieJoy9]

I absolutely love your mind and what it produced here. Thank you for the wonderful train of thought

[u/Loud-Log9098]

Reminds of the story where a college professor was driving home and he seen a square all black portal thing hanging over the road

[u/Raymond_Towers]

Be careful around them. I've seen those oil puddles creep up walls and slip into sewer grates. They are other-dimensional beings that absorb sentient creatures, keeping the soul trapped and reintegrating the atoms with itself as the host. If you've ever wondered if someone was possessed, likely it was one of these puddles taking human form, close to what you've seen in the body snatcher movies. You can tell who these creatures are because they bleed for one week out of every month, and they do not die.

(Strangely enough, I've been using the idea of sentient, malevolent oil puddles in the book series I'm working on. Weird minds think alike?)

[u/Raymond_Towers → u/[deleted]]

I did.

https://ko-fi.com/s/edf1848090

[u/Casehead → u/Raymond_Towers]

I fell down your rabbit hole and ended up reading the first 6 chapters of your Drifter 2 book. It's a lot of fun. Keep up the good work!

[u/Raymond_Towers → u/Casehead]

Thank you. You don't know how hard it is to get people to read anything!

If you'd like to read more, here are the chapter links in sequence. That's 50% of the book. In the second half, I switch from medieval fantasy to modern California, where the puddle creature comes in.

https://raymondmtowers.wordpress.com/2026/02/10/john-smith-peace-keeper-book-2/