Animal Sight

Why do animals see only in visible light?

———- from Chuck Bullard of Omaha, NE

Check your data. Last time I noticed, my cat was staring at dust motes, which in ultraviolet light resemble iridescent gummy worms. No wonder these fanciful felines can spend the greater part of a morning just staring at a sunbeam. Dogs, on the other hand, see in infra red, which is why a television’s remote control can render even the most savage attack dog a whimpering puppy. I carry a spare remote in my pocket whenever I’m out of the lab, in case I’m attacked by a stray pit bull.