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General Vintage Technology Discussions For general discussions about vintage radio and other vintage electronics etc. |
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20th Feb 2019, 2:09 pm | #41 |
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Re: The electromagnetic spectrum
It is probably a good thing that our visual perception is limited to a restricted bandwidth, and audio perception too. There is easily far to much data to process (and ignore) in that range.
If we could hear from 1/2 a Hz to 50kHz and see across the entire EM spectrum well above and below light, we would be unable to function. Even with the limited bandwidth of our senses it can still be problematic to try to apply our attention to the problem we are interested in and ignore extraneous data. Notice how if you watch black & white TV for a while, you forget it is not color. We are presented already with a lot of data that is superfluous to conveying the important information. |
20th Feb 2019, 3:31 pm | #42 |
Nonode
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Re: The electromagnetic spectrum
I think it would be fair to say that the investigation of our Universe at wavelengths different from the optical did not go at a pace because the Astronomers of the pre-war era assumed that it would look fairly similar to what they were seeing on the optical - except at drastically lower resolution. Really it was the war-time experience of Solar Radio Bursts causing serious interference to the newly developed Radar systems that signalled that all was not quite what had been expected.
In the case that kalee20 mentions radio eyes would see, at those wavelengths, just 'thermal blackbody radiation' from the lamp. And it is thermal blackbody radiation that the pre-war astronomers expected to be detected at radio wavelengths. Whilst the radio radiation I've mentioned in regard to astronomical sources is being created by the complex interactions of high velocity electrons and magnetic fields. |
20th Feb 2019, 5:24 pm | #43 | ||
Dekatron
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Re: The electromagnetic spectrum
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But I did think it curious that a similar basic structure, could be used for generating energy at such hugely different frequencies! |
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20th Feb 2019, 7:51 pm | #44 | |
Dekatron
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Re: The electromagnetic spectrum
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Add in various marine creatures [Electric Eels, octopi] who can detect DC/sub-1Hz electrical signals, and Whales/Dolphins who can detect similarly-low-frequency acoustics, and you have to admit that us humans live in a world of very narrow sensory-bandwidth. |
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20th Feb 2019, 10:48 pm | #45 | |
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Re: The electromagnetic spectrum
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We haven't done so bad, but did we have to use it to broadcast game-shows, the Bay City Rollers, party political broadcasts, Dynasty.... David
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20th Feb 2019, 11:34 pm | #46 |
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Re: The electromagnetic spectrum
Apparently if you roll an electrical eel up in aluminium foil, it shorts out and after half an hour it is ready to eat
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