So what are the implications of Ultra-vision?

[Tonguez]

We know that Infravision brings up all the problems of being able to see 'heat signatures' and footsteps etc etc

bt what about ultraviolet vision, if a race had this (and it is quite plausiblethat one could) what would the implications be?
What would they actually see? What would they NOT see?

 

[BOZ]

i don't know - what exactly did it do? i never did play in 1st edition AD&D...

 

[Kyrail]

Well, alot of demons and devils have constant "True Seeing" that seems pretty much to be Ultra-Vision to me.

 

[Zoatebix]

No no, he means "ultravision" in the sense of being able to see wavelength lengths of light shorter than than the visibile spectrum (or higher frequency than the visible spectrum - hence "ultra." "Ultra-violet, etc").

Shorter wavelengths/higher freqency waves can go around the edges of opaque objets better than long wave lengths can. That means that the edges of objects, and most espeicially back-lit ones, will have very bright, high-contrast outlines. I know that there are animals on earth (bees, maybe?) that can see ultra-violet light, but I can't for the life of me think of what effect such sense would have in-game...

Sorry I'm not much help.
-George

 

[reanjr]

We know that Infravision brings up all the problems of being able to see 'heat signatures' and footsteps etc etc

bt what about ultraviolet vision, if a race had this (and it is quite plausiblethat one could) what would the implications be?
What would they actually see? What would they NOT see?

Hot gases and gas affected by electricity are the primary emitters of ultraviolet radiation. As such, someone who could see in ultraviolet would probably not see much very differently, except maybe the sun and black lights, etc.

 

[hong]

The implications are lots of arguments involving pseudoscience and dubious handwaving.

 

[shilsen]

The implications are lots of arguments involving pseudoscience and dubious handwaving.

By George, I think she's got it!

 

[Modin Godstalker]

We know that Infravision brings up all the problems of being able to see 'heat signatures' and footsteps etc etc

bt what about ultraviolet vision, if a race had this (and it is quite plausiblethat one could) what would the implications be?
What would they actually see? What would they NOT see?

There is a scientist at UW Madison who is doing research in reagrds to ultraviolet vision. he is geneticly modying eyes of monkeys, so that they are able to see the ultraviolet wavelength along with the normal wavelengths seen by the eye. He is trying to find out what implications there are such as if the brain could adapt to this additional information.

Pretty interesting stuff.

 

[Shemeska]

There is a scientist at UW Madison who is doing research in reagrds to ultraviolet vision. he is geneticly modying eyes of monkeys, so that they are able to see the ultraviolet wavelength along with the normal wavelengths seen by the eye. He is trying to find out what implications there are such as if the brain could adapt to this additional information.

One word: COOL!

Do you know his name or if he's got any papers published on this? I'd love to read them if so.

And yes, honey bees see a low portion of the UV spectrum IIRC.

 

[DanMcS]

We know that Infravision brings up all the problems of being able to see 'heat signatures' and footsteps etc etc

bt what about ultraviolet vision, if a race had this (and it is quite plausiblethat one could) what would the implications be?
What would they actually see? What would they NOT see?

They'd be able to see some extra colors past the purple end of the spectrum, essentially. The only normal source of UV (that would be encountered in a medieval world) is the sun, so they'd basically get the superpower to... see in normal daylight.