bit gruesome but:

[Daave]

someone asked about eyes...

i have always wondered....

its difficult to stop the reaction when you move one eye.. the other follows

if you stuck something in one eye and wiggled it, would the other move on reflex?

yes, it would hurt, yes its a sick question... but ive wondered this for years!

[adonia]

ever smacked down the cap on your shampoo bottle in the shower ,and got an eyefull of pure? cor ,that got me wondering where my other eye was! lol

[wildwood]

I am not going to try, just to satisfy your curiosity. But if you get something in one of your eyes, it is only that eye that blinks and tears.
I am pretty sure they work independently in unison. Mmm... that sounds pretty dumb! I'll go home now.

[chakka35]

You don't have to poke yourself in the eye or do anything gruesome or painful.
In one of his marvellous books, Richard Dawkins explains how the brain makes a difference between the two different ways of looking to one side (say your left): (a) turning your head and (b) swivelling your eyes while keeping your head still. In both cases, of course, the scene in front of you sweeps across the retina. In the first case the brain allows this and the scene moves rapidly to the right as it would in a pan from a movie camera. In the second case the brain keeps the scene still while your eyes move across it. (cont)

[chakka35]

(continued) Extraordinary when you think about it!
Now to the question (at last!). If you put a finger on top of your eyelid and very gently press on your eyeball you can move it. Since the brain is not programmed for this the scene in front of you does move, whereas it wouldn't if you moved your eyeball as an act of will. And you'll notice that the scene through the other eye has not changed. Ergo, the eyes can move independently. But be gentle.

[Daave]

so sticking it with a needle isnt a good idea then?

[RJO_Answers]

isaac newton wondered the same thing, you are in good company! BUT isaac DID stick a needle in his eye as he really wanted to know! Scientists huh!

Check out the following...

http://www.lib.cam.ac.uk/Exhibitions/Footprint s_of_the_Lion/private_scholar.html