Electromagnetic spectrum – There’s More to Life than What You See

Have you ever considered why do we see things? Apart from referees at least that usually don’t see anything. To be exact, the human eye doesn’t actually see anything, it just receives light that is interpreted by our brain. You have probably experienced this between sheets. And that’s why the x-ray gaze of Superman is also scientifically dubious. 

Mirrored reflections and swarming bacteria

Our brain has developed to create an image of the light that’s received from the so called visible light wavelength of 400 – 700 nano meters (10⁻⁹ m). The light is originated from either an object that sends light such as the display you are currently staring, or it has reflected from a light source, such as the Sun. These reflections are then interpreted as different objects we see. 

But as you probably know, there’s more to life than what you see. The electromagnetic spectrum reaches from gamma rays (wavelength 10⁻¹² m) to radio waves (wavelength 10³ m). Therefore, we can detect only a small fraction of electromagnetic radiation without the help of technology. There’s a lot to see, but we probably wouldn’t want to see all the bacteria swarming on different surfaces. 

Something for our benefit 

Utilizing some other wavelengths would however be beneficial for our manufacturing. The most promising forms of radiation are infrared (10⁻⁵ m) and ultraviolet (10⁻⁸ m). These wavelengths already have different industrial applications such as recognition of different materials (IR) and curing inks (UV). We have tested the use of both IR and UV in different applications and we have a decent perception of their possibilities. 

Naturally I don’t want to disclose all our trade secrets in this forum, so time will tell what we are up to. If you are interested, feel free to ask and possibly we could find something in common benefit. And as always, we have researched the electromagnetic spectrum to provide you with Smarter Gaskets for Safer Tomorrow.