How are holograms possible?

3Blue1Brown · 7.2M views · 2024-10-05 · 46:24

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Overview

3Blue1Brown explains how holograms record a 3D scene on 2D film, using wave diffraction and phase. The video includes demonstrations of several real holograms.

On Hacker News

HN commenters call it the best explanation of how holograms work, and one says it transformed their understanding.

Recommended by 3 HN people across 3 months · HN mentions 2024–2025

Topics

Fundamental physics Recreational & visual math

What people said

omneity · 2025-09 · Strong recommendation
On this very topic, this might be one of my most favorite videos ever single-handedly changing my understanding of holograms: [VIDEO]
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aeonik · 2025-04 · Recommendation
Yea I have some ideas, but I haven't found an easy way to implement it yet. The term of art that I'm exploring is called "Holographic Interferometry". Sibling poster gave you a link to regular interferometry. But basically, if you split the laser beam, one goes straight into the camera sensor, and the other off your object, you can do some pretty amazing things. Depending on a lot of little details (The devil is hiding here). I found 3Blue1Brown's explanation to be the best, but less "ready to use". [VIDEO]
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injidup · 2024-10 · Recommendation
Not to take away the brilliance of what is achieved but I think hologram is the wrong word. This is purely about caustics. Amplitude engineering rather than phase. The calculations are just assuming light as particle, not light as wave. A true hologram uses diffraction grating effects and the phase difference from light. There was a very nice explanation on three-blue-brown recently. [VIDEO] I don't think there are any phase effects in the parent attached? Or are there?
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Sources

Video by 3Blue1Brown, played through YouTube.

HN Library · Source license

Data and selection notes

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