Riddle: what turns everything around or back to front without itself moving?

Introduction / Context:
This riddle describes something that turns everything around even though it does not move. The key is to see that turns everything around does not have to mean rotating objects physically. It can also mean reversing their appearance or orientation. The puzzle is about a simple optical effect that students experience every day. Such riddles encourage learners to think beyond literal physical turning and consider how reflection can change the way objects look without the reflecting surface moving at all.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The object in question does not move from its place in the riddle.
• However, it turns everything around, meaning it reverses or flips something about the objects near it.
• The answer is a common, non living object found in homes, vehicles or classrooms.
• The turning is visual, not a mechanical spinning of real objects.
• Only one of the options fits this idea in a simple, natural way.

Concept / Approach:
A mirror is the best match. When you stand in front of a mirror, your reflection appears reversed from left to right. Text and images also appear flipped as if turned around. Yet the mirror does not move at all; it simply reflects light. The Earth rotates, but that is physical movement of the planet, not static turning of everything else without moving. A wheel itself moves when it turns things, and a compass needle moves slightly to indicate direction. The riddle specifically highlights turning everything around without movement, an excellent description of mirror based reflection.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Imagine a plain wall mirror hanging in one place. People come in front of it and everything in its view appears reversed left to right. The mirror itself stays fixed; it does not rotate or walk around. Nevertheless, every object seen in it appears turned around compared to its real orientation. This shows that a mirror turns things around visually without itself moving.

Verification / Alternative check:
Consider the other options. The Earth turns on its axis and moves through space, so it definitely moves and does not remain fixed. A wheel that turns anything must also rotate, so it fails the without moving condition. A compass points to direction and its needle moves slightly under the influence of magnetism, but it does not literally turn everything around; it only indicates orientation. Only a mirror creates an instant, static reversal of the scene in front of it, effectively turning the view around while remaining motionless, which fits the riddle exactly.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Earth and wheel directly contradict the no movement requirement because turning is their own physical motion. Compass does not reverse appearances; it merely shows direction. None of these alternatives routinely give a flipped or reversed view of reality from a stationary position. They are included as distractors to test whether learners understand the difference between physically turning objects and visually turning their images through reflection.

Common Pitfalls:
Some learners quickly answer Earth because they remember that the Earth's rotation gives day and night, which feels like turning everything around. However, this ignores the explicit without moving phrase. Others think of a wheel because of the word turns, not noticing the paradox in the riddle. To solve such problems correctly, look for the one object that resolves the apparent contradiction: turning everything around even while it does not move, which is exactly what a mirror does with reflected images.

Final Answer:
The thing that turns everything around without moving is a mirror.