The parabolic shape of this array of mirrors focuses incoming light rays together, causing them to converge to a single point (called the focal point) and then spread apart again. When you put your own eyeball at just the right place—roughly twice the focal length—you see your own eye reflected back at you from every mirror in the array.
This exhibit was inspired by a photo from a classic physics textbook. The Parabolic Mirror Has a Thousand Eyes was shot by the famous scientific photographer Berenice Abbott. (click image to enlarge)
Parabolic mirrors having a single smooth surface—as opposed to the fragmented view you see here—are found in car headlights, solar ovens, and reflecting telescopes.
