Today we looked at electromagnetic waves, from slow, not very energetic radio waves to highly energetic and penetrating gamma rays. Then, we used what we learned to find yet another treasure (treasure hunts are in high demand this season!)
As it turns out, there are quite a few things that are invisible to humans but not to other animals. Bees and other insects can see ultraviolet light; snakes and some blood sucking insects can "see" infrared light. We humans are blind to those wavelengths.
This is how a human (left) and a bee (right) see a flower. We miss the UV details that help the bees land safely on the flower.
And this is how a snake would see Sprout! Cold nose in blue, hot heart in red!
Next time we'll learn how different electromagnetic wavelengths can help art science detectives spot a forgery!
In the meantime, check out the KTS infrared zombies!
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