Famous instances include the Speculum Maius by Vincent of Beauvais and the Speculum Principum ("Mirror for Princes"), which disseminated political theories to monarchs.
Research suggests that showing a speculum in medical videos can be persuasive for health screenings when framed around overcoming knowledge barriers, though it can sometimes elicit fear if not handled carefully.
Speculum is an English-language quarterly journal founded in 1926. It holds a distinguished place in media and academic circles as the first North American journal dedicated to the Middle Ages.
Historically, "speculum" refers to a medieval literary genre intended to provide a "mirror" of a particular subject.