According to the electromagnetic spectrum, humans can only see visible light. We need special devices in order to see things like infra-red and ultraviolet waves. How come humans are born and are only able to see the visible light waves?
In: Physics
The cones in human eyes only allow us to see specific wavelengths of light.
Why do we not have cones to watch all other kinds of light? Because being born with those cones didn’t give enough of an evolutionary advantage (or rather, being born *without* those cones didn’t give enough of an evolutionary *dis*advantage) that there would be pressure towards having those cones.
And it’s not that we can only see visible light waves, it’s that we only call the light waves we can see visible. The universe didn’t decide that the wavelengths we can see should be visible. Plenty of animals can see outside the range that humans can.
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