We’ve all heard of the two common types of twins: identical (in which a fertilized egg splits) and fraternal (in which two separate eggs are fertilized at the same time). However, there’s a variation on identical twins that I’ve recently learned about that I find fascinating.
They’re called mirror twins.
The phenomenon happens when a single egg is fertilized. For a few days, the pregnancy moves forward as it would in a standard single-baby situation. Then, for reasons unknown, after about a week, the egg suddenly decides to split. But of course, by this point it’s not really just an egg anymore; having had 7 to 10 days to grow, it’s an embryo that’s developed a left and a right side.
So the split means that you’ve got identical twins that are mirror images of one another. Each case varies, but it could mean that one is right-handed while the other is a lefty. It could mean identical birthmarks on opposite sides of their bodies. One could have hair that naturally parts one way, while the other’s hair falls in the opposite direction. In some extremely rare cases, one twin’s internal organs may even be on the opposite side.
I guess I find this interesting because mirror twins are officially categorized as a sub-type of identical twins. Which…I mean, I get it, but if they’re a mirror image of one another, they’re not identical, are they?
What makes this a beautiful song:
1. Like mirror twins, it’s a song of opposites: smooth keyboards and stuttering drum elements; sustained single-note vocal lines and quick synth parts that run up the scale in a moment.
2. At the beginning, it makes you think you’re in for a jazzy bossa tune, with the lively guitar and off-beat woodblock percussion.
3. At 41 seconds, and out of absolutely nowhere, there’s a brief sample of a Chopin nocturne. This must be the quirkiest song we’ve featured since…well, last week actually. Except that song’s quirkiness was creepy, while this week’s is playful. Maybe the two songs are secretly mirror twins.
Recommended listening activity:
Putting paint on paper and folding it in half to see what designs you can make.