How do scientists know what the world looks through the eyes of an animal ?

Question

For example Fisheyes and Fly eyes.

In: Planetary Science

Answer 1

A) Because we understand light, photons, optics, refraction, etc, really well.

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B) We also understand a lot about the receptor cells in eyes, and which ones react to different frequencies of light.

Some cells are only triggered and only react to certain frequencies (colors) of light, but not others. (All of that can be determined by chemistry–which chemicals react and how they react to light).

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C) We also know a little bit about the optic nerve, and the image processing neurons in animal brains.

Heck, not to be too gruesome with details, but we’ve even connected computers and electronic circuit receivers to optic nerves, and received input data, and even transmitted output data down optic nerves.

For example we have electronic circuits that are attached to digital cameras, and then can send image data down an optic nerve of an animal or human.

Although keep in mind: this technology for now is very primitive and “fuzzy”–so it sends limited fuzzy-blocky shapes of outlines of objects, to the brain.

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So ya…

When you add all of that up together, we have a really good idea of how different animals can see.