Some of it is due to misperception — when the surgeon or staff mixes up the left and right, or the front and back of the patient despite having the correct information, said Dr. John Clarke, an ...

Mirrors don't flip up-and-down or left-and-right, but rather front-and-back, and how it's mounted determines the rest. Getty Images/iStockphoto. In physics, ...

Have you ever been confused when distinguishing up and down? Or front and back? This almost never happens to anyone. In contrast, a lot of people frequently confuse left and right.