this post was submitted on 28 Oct 2025
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Science Memes

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[–] Dicska@lemmy.world 10 points 6 days ago (3 children)

That is the very definition of colour. The part of the electromagnetic spectrum that we can see. The rest of the scale includes infrared, gamma or X-ray. If you want, you can call them invisible colours - or you can call green superhighultraviolet.

[–] scratchee@feddit.uk 8 points 6 days ago

In everyday context yes, but it’s pretty common to use “colour” to refer to frequency outside the visible range, and it’s interesting to consider what interesting “colours” we are missing out on because they’re outside our visible range.

Silver/grey implies even response across the spectrum, and is the normal expectation.

If we couldn’t see yellow (red/green) then gold would presumably look silver to us, so are there silver/grey metals that would have an interesting colour if only we could see it?

[–] blockheadjt@sh.itjust.works 3 points 6 days ago (2 children)

If a bee sees a color we cannot, it would be pretty silly to insist it's not a color on the basis of us being unable to see it, wouldn't it?

[–] jaybone@lemmy.zip 4 points 6 days ago

Are there creatures that see radio? (Which I suppose is pretty general.) if so, they must hate us.

[–] 5in1k@lemmy.zip 3 points 6 days ago

Color is visible light in the human spectrum. We would say they see in the ultraviolet or infrared spectrum. Non human animals don’t use the literature so it’s designed with human perception in mind.

[–] jaybone@lemmy.zip 2 points 6 days ago

Well infrared goes the other direction. Along with radio.