Colours of Light

[4lec]

I understand why we see, for example blue light. ( the absorption of all other colours of the spectrum). But why visible light made up of different colours?? must be to do with the speed of them, as visible light has all wavelength etc.
But why are they the colours that they are??
i dont think anyone will understand what im tryin to ask but too late now
Alec

[rojash]

Light is made up of multiple wavelengths. However the way we PERCIEVE light is due to the 3 (red, green and blue) colour -sensitive pigments in our eyes. It's quite conceivable that a creature with a different physiology would perceive them differently. We perceive a mixture of red and green light as yellow (or brown, depending on how bright the light is) and the whole concept of additive colour mixing which allows us to watch colour TV is purely down to our own physiology.

[4lec]

thanks very much! Suprised you understood want i wanted to know. Thanks again

[slimfandango]

Our physiology (trichromatic colour vision) is such because we, like many other primates, eat fruit from trees (or did before the government got its hands on school dinners!). We need trichromatic colour vision to be able to distinguish riper fruits. It's an adaptation.

[corganiser]

I once red that cats do not have 3 colour vision and see everything in their version of black and white (which to us apparently would like like shades of purple). This makes them particularly good at seeing movement and also night vision.

[corganiser]

look like not like like - 3 colour vision isn't helping my typing at all

[slimfandango]

I think cat's were the first animals to have the image from their optic nerve ported into a camera: made for some pretty scary viewing. 9/10 owners said their cat would prefer trichromatic vision..