Humans can only see in the visible spectrum, but many animals can see ultraviolet, and the world looks different to them. Ultraviolet photos look pretty. A little UV torch is handy to carry with you.
Infrared can't be seen by most animals (most struggle with normal red), but you can get infrared cameras, which you can use to see things lurking in the dark.
But forget technology. Which one would you want to see naturally with your own eyes? Which way should we expand the spectrum?
The answer to the question, whether one would prefer their vision to be extended in the IR or UV spectrum, goes actually beyond a plain preference.
Since my late teen years I've been fascinated by the IR and UV spectrum, and made many pictures, mostly infrared in black and white. The results were magical.
Much later a question haunted my mind: how would a colour picture look when, instead of relying on the classic three basic colours, red, green and blue (or magenta, cyan and yellow), the spectrum was extended at both extreme ends. I mean past red towards IR, and past blue towards UV. The three basic coulours would be IR, green (or yellow) and UV.
Too long to give all details, but I actually did realize this experiment, and the results were very interesting. It was the plain proof that our eyes, all relativity kept in mind, are the perfect compromise in the world of colours. In a few words, the resulting images were actually much poorer in colour nuances, although sometimes interesting because of the IR side, which partially erases a lot of differences between red, brown and green. I proceeded with three different filters to create the three basic colour versions of the same image: black (IR, very dark purple actually), green, and dark blue.
Colours are actually created by the brain, in order to distinguish different wavelengths of light and, by the way, it's worth reminding not all animals see the same spectrum.
Thus, to answer the question, I'd be very interested in having the possibility to see, by turning some kind of mental switch, as well in IR as UV. Nevertheless, I'm very happy with what my eyes are able to see. Evolution did a nice job ;0)
A very informative answer. UV and IR are great renderings of what we don't see with our human eyes. Yet, the human eye can distinguish more than 10 million different colors. UV and IR are rather specialized: great for picking up contrast or for glowing colors in flowers. It just shifts the chromatic rendering to one extreme or to the other extreme.
@Tarifa Taken seperately, UV and IR are indeed very interesting to see what one cannot see otherwise. Your 2 pictures are an excellent illustration. Every living species having eyes in one or another form, has been given the ability to see exactly what they need to see in their environment in order to survive.
I have used infrared black and white film before. Unlike the color version of infrared capture, black and white gives an eerie effect I like a lot. It darkens blue skies and renders vegetation as snowy white.
As for ultraviolet, that's how bees and other insects view the world. No wonder they are attracted to flowers.
I would probably go with infrared perception... just like the Webb telescope does, and then I could see the universe "as it really is" and because of it's variable range... with infrared sight... you can even perceive ultraviolet or visible light that has been out for billions of years now...
if it's either or I'll take UV. If I'm not mistaken You would see patterns in things like bird feathers and flowers that you wouldn't have percieved before. Unfortunately you would be able to percieve, in vivid brilliance, the presence of certain bodily fluids... not all good, and I hope you enjoy an overall blue tinge to your world
I want to keep going with it how about gamma waves, or x rays? like dolphins and bats. Or whatever else there is, that i can't think of now because im imaging being controlled by dolphins and tricked into building an underground base off the coast of Florida. 😉
Ill settle with infrared, if thats all you got for me...
In order to see how hot things are, you also need to know the emissivity of the surface you are looking at. If surface A emits more infrared than surface B, that doesn't imply A is hotter than B.
errr... but if we could see in different frequencies, then they would be the visible spectrum, not ultraviolet or infrared, and ultraviolet and infrared would be different... so... we kind of already do, right?
Anyway... a few billion years of evolution have chosen the optimal visible frequency for humans.
Girl's Behavior 
Guy's Behavior 
Flirting 
Dating 
Relationships 
Fashion & Beauty 
Health & Fitness 
Marriage & Weddings 
Shopping & Gifts 
Technology & Internet 
Break Up & Divorce 
Education & Career 
Entertainment & Arts 
Family & Friends 
Food & Beverage 
Hobbies & Leisure 
Other 
Religion & Spirituality 
Society & Politics 
Sports 
Travel 
Trending & News 
