TedTest

From the Ted Talk by Lucianne Walkowicz: Light waves, visible and invisible

Unscramble the Blue Letters

What if you could only see one color? Imagine, for instance, that you could only see things that were red and that everything else was completely invblsiie to you. As it turns out, that's how you live your life all the time because your eyes can only see a minuscule part of the full spectrum of light. Different kinds of light are all around you eayervdy but are invisible to the hmaun eye, from the radio waves that carry your favorite songs, to the x-rays doctors use to see inside of you, to the microwaves that heat up your food. In order to understand how these can all be light, we'll need to know a thing or two about what light is. Light is elcteiogetarmnc radiation that acts like both a wave and a ptrcaile. Light waves are kind of like wvaes on the ocean. There are big waves and samll waves, waves that crash on the sohre one right after the other, and waves that only roll in every so often. The size of a wave is called its wavelength, and how often it comes by is called its frequency. iamngie being a boat in that ocean, bobbing up and down as the waves go by. If the waves that day have long wavelengths, they'll make you bob only so often, or at a low frequency. If the waves, instead, have short wavelengths, they'll be close together, and you'll bob up and down much more often, at a high frequency. Different kinds of light are all waves, they just have different wavelengths and frequencies. If you know the wavelength or frequency of a wave of light, you can also figure out its energy. Long wavelengths have low energies, while short wavelengths have high energies. It's easy to remember if you think about being in that boat. If you were out saiilng on a day with sohrt, choppy waves, you'd probably be pretty high energy yourself, running around to keep things from falling over. But on a long wavelength sea, you'd be roillng along, relaxed, low energy. The energy of light tells us how it will interact with matetr, for example, the cells of our eyes. When we see, it's because the eenrgy of light stimulates a receptor in our eye called the retina. Our retina are only sneisivte to light with a very small range in energy, and so we call that range of light visible light. Inside our retina are special retprcoes cllaed rods and cones. The rods musreae brightness, so we know how much light there is. The cnoes are in charge of what color of light we see because different cones are sensitive to different energies of light. Some cones are more excited by light that is long wavelength and low energy, and other cones are more excited by short wvtealngeh, high-energy light. When light hits our eye, the relative amount of energy each cone measures signals our brain to perceive colors. The roinbaw we perceive is actually visible light in order of its energy. At one side of the rainbow is low-energy light we see as red, and at the other side is high-energy light we see as blue. If light shines on us that has an energy our retina can't measure, we won't be able to see it. Light that is too short wavelength or high energy gets absorbed by the eye's surface before it can even get to the retina, and light that is too long wavelength doesn't have enough energy to sliautmte our retina at all. The only thing that makes one kind of light different from another is its wavelength. Radio waves have long wavelengths, while x-rays have short wheelantvgs. And visible light, the kind you can actually see, is somewhere in between. Even though our eyes can't detect lgiht outside of the visible range, we can build special deotcetrs that are stimulated by these other wavelengths of light, kind of like digital eyes. With these devices, we can measure the light that is there, even though we can't see it ourselves. So, take a step back and think about all of this for a moment. Even though they seem different, the warmth you feel from a crackling fire is the same as the sun shining on you on a beautiful day, the same as ultraviolet light you put on sunscreen to protect yourself from, the same thing as your TV, your riado, and your microwave. Now, those examples are all things here on Earth, things you experience in your everyday life, but here's something even more amazing. Our universe gives off the full surtcepm of light, too. When you think of the night sky, you probably think of being able to see the stars shining with your own eyes, but that's just visible light, which you now know is only a tiny part of the full spectrum. If we had to draw the ueirnsve and could only use visible light, it would be like having only one craoyn — pretty sad. To see the universe in its full spectrum, we need to have the right eyes, and that means using sicaepl telescopes that can help us see beyond visible light. You've probably heard of the hublbe spcae tleecospe and seen its beautiful puietrcs taken in visible and ultraviolet light. But you might not know that there are 20 space telescopes in orbit, missions that can each see part of the full spectrum of light. With telescopes acting as our virtual eyes, both in space and here on Earth, we can see some amazing things. And the coolest thing of all, no matter the wavelength or energy, the light that we see out in the distant universe is the same thing as the light that we can eecxpinere and study here on Earth. So, since we know the physics of how x-ray, ultraviolet light, or microwaves work here, we can study the light of a distant star or galaxy and know what kinds of things are happening there too. So, as you go about your daily life, think beyond what your eyes can and can't see. knnwiog just a little bit about the natural wrlod can help you picevere the full spectrum around you all the time.

Open Cloze

What if you could only see one color? Imagine, for instance, that you could only see things that were red and that everything else was completely _________ to you. As it turns out, that's how you live your life all the time because your eyes can only see a minuscule part of the full spectrum of light. Different kinds of light are all around you ________ but are invisible to the _____ eye, from the radio waves that carry your favorite songs, to the x-rays doctors use to see inside of you, to the microwaves that heat up your food. In order to understand how these can all be light, we'll need to know a thing or two about what light is. Light is _______________ radiation that acts like both a wave and a ________. Light waves are kind of like _____ on the ocean. There are big waves and _____ waves, waves that crash on the _____ one right after the other, and waves that only roll in every so often. The size of a wave is called its wavelength, and how often it comes by is called its frequency. _______ being a boat in that ocean, bobbing up and down as the waves go by. If the waves that day have long wavelengths, they'll make you bob only so often, or at a low frequency. If the waves, instead, have short wavelengths, they'll be close together, and you'll bob up and down much more often, at a high frequency. Different kinds of light are all waves, they just have different wavelengths and frequencies. If you know the wavelength or frequency of a wave of light, you can also figure out its energy. Long wavelengths have low energies, while short wavelengths have high energies. It's easy to remember if you think about being in that boat. If you were out _______ on a day with _____, choppy waves, you'd probably be pretty high energy yourself, running around to keep things from falling over. But on a long wavelength sea, you'd be _______ along, relaxed, low energy. The energy of light tells us how it will interact with ______, for example, the cells of our eyes. When we see, it's because the ______ of light stimulates a receptor in our eye called the retina. Our retina are only _________ to light with a very small range in energy, and so we call that range of light visible light. Inside our retina are special _________ ______ rods and cones. The rods _______ brightness, so we know how much light there is. The _____ are in charge of what color of light we see because different cones are sensitive to different energies of light. Some cones are more excited by light that is long wavelength and low energy, and other cones are more excited by short __________, high-energy light. When light hits our eye, the relative amount of energy each cone measures signals our brain to perceive colors. The _______ we perceive is actually visible light in order of its energy. At one side of the rainbow is low-energy light we see as red, and at the other side is high-energy light we see as blue. If light shines on us that has an energy our retina can't measure, we won't be able to see it. Light that is too short wavelength or high energy gets absorbed by the eye's surface before it can even get to the retina, and light that is too long wavelength doesn't have enough energy to _________ our retina at all. The only thing that makes one kind of light different from another is its wavelength. Radio waves have long wavelengths, while x-rays have short ___________. And visible light, the kind you can actually see, is somewhere in between. Even though our eyes can't detect _____ outside of the visible range, we can build special _________ that are stimulated by these other wavelengths of light, kind of like digital eyes. With these devices, we can measure the light that is there, even though we can't see it ourselves. So, take a step back and think about all of this for a moment. Even though they seem different, the warmth you feel from a crackling fire is the same as the sun shining on you on a beautiful day, the same as ultraviolet light you put on sunscreen to protect yourself from, the same thing as your TV, your _____, and your microwave. Now, those examples are all things here on Earth, things you experience in your everyday life, but here's something even more amazing. Our universe gives off the full ________ of light, too. When you think of the night sky, you probably think of being able to see the stars shining with your own eyes, but that's just visible light, which you now know is only a tiny part of the full spectrum. If we had to draw the ________ and could only use visible light, it would be like having only one ______ — pretty sad. To see the universe in its full spectrum, we need to have the right eyes, and that means using _______ telescopes that can help us see beyond visible light. You've probably heard of the ______ _____ _________ and seen its beautiful ________ taken in visible and ultraviolet light. But you might not know that there are 20 space telescopes in orbit, missions that can each see part of the full spectrum of light. With telescopes acting as our virtual eyes, both in space and here on Earth, we can see some amazing things. And the coolest thing of all, no matter the wavelength or energy, the light that we see out in the distant universe is the same thing as the light that we can __________ and study here on Earth. So, since we know the physics of how x-ray, ultraviolet light, or microwaves work here, we can study the light of a distant star or galaxy and know what kinds of things are happening there too. So, as you go about your daily life, think beyond what your eyes can and can't see. _______ just a little bit about the natural _____ can help you ________ the full spectrum around you all the time.

Solution

sensitive
small
short
spectrum
measure
radio
receptors
energy
universe
telescope
human
wavelengths
cones
rolling
detectors
experience
matter
invisible
rainbow
imagine
everyday
knowing
particle
space
called
hubble
electromagnetic
stimulate
crayon
wavelength
sailing
world
light
waves
perceive
shore
special
pictures

Original Text

What if you could only see one color? Imagine, for instance, that you could only see things that were red and that everything else was completely invisible to you. As it turns out, that's how you live your life all the time because your eyes can only see a minuscule part of the full spectrum of light. Different kinds of light are all around you everyday but are invisible to the human eye, from the radio waves that carry your favorite songs, to the x-rays doctors use to see inside of you, to the microwaves that heat up your food. In order to understand how these can all be light, we'll need to know a thing or two about what light is. Light is electromagnetic radiation that acts like both a wave and a particle. Light waves are kind of like waves on the ocean. There are big waves and small waves, waves that crash on the shore one right after the other, and waves that only roll in every so often. The size of a wave is called its wavelength, and how often it comes by is called its frequency. Imagine being a boat in that ocean, bobbing up and down as the waves go by. If the waves that day have long wavelengths, they'll make you bob only so often, or at a low frequency. If the waves, instead, have short wavelengths, they'll be close together, and you'll bob up and down much more often, at a high frequency. Different kinds of light are all waves, they just have different wavelengths and frequencies. If you know the wavelength or frequency of a wave of light, you can also figure out its energy. Long wavelengths have low energies, while short wavelengths have high energies. It's easy to remember if you think about being in that boat. If you were out sailing on a day with short, choppy waves, you'd probably be pretty high energy yourself, running around to keep things from falling over. But on a long wavelength sea, you'd be rolling along, relaxed, low energy. The energy of light tells us how it will interact with matter, for example, the cells of our eyes. When we see, it's because the energy of light stimulates a receptor in our eye called the retina. Our retina are only sensitive to light with a very small range in energy, and so we call that range of light visible light. Inside our retina are special receptors called rods and cones. The rods measure brightness, so we know how much light there is. The cones are in charge of what color of light we see because different cones are sensitive to different energies of light. Some cones are more excited by light that is long wavelength and low energy, and other cones are more excited by short wavelength, high-energy light. When light hits our eye, the relative amount of energy each cone measures signals our brain to perceive colors. The rainbow we perceive is actually visible light in order of its energy. At one side of the rainbow is low-energy light we see as red, and at the other side is high-energy light we see as blue. If light shines on us that has an energy our retina can't measure, we won't be able to see it. Light that is too short wavelength or high energy gets absorbed by the eye's surface before it can even get to the retina, and light that is too long wavelength doesn't have enough energy to stimulate our retina at all. The only thing that makes one kind of light different from another is its wavelength. Radio waves have long wavelengths, while x-rays have short wavelengths. And visible light, the kind you can actually see, is somewhere in between. Even though our eyes can't detect light outside of the visible range, we can build special detectors that are stimulated by these other wavelengths of light, kind of like digital eyes. With these devices, we can measure the light that is there, even though we can't see it ourselves. So, take a step back and think about all of this for a moment. Even though they seem different, the warmth you feel from a crackling fire is the same as the sun shining on you on a beautiful day, the same as ultraviolet light you put on sunscreen to protect yourself from, the same thing as your TV, your radio, and your microwave. Now, those examples are all things here on Earth, things you experience in your everyday life, but here's something even more amazing. Our universe gives off the full spectrum of light, too. When you think of the night sky, you probably think of being able to see the stars shining with your own eyes, but that's just visible light, which you now know is only a tiny part of the full spectrum. If we had to draw the universe and could only use visible light, it would be like having only one crayon — pretty sad. To see the universe in its full spectrum, we need to have the right eyes, and that means using special telescopes that can help us see beyond visible light. You've probably heard of the Hubble Space Telescope and seen its beautiful pictures taken in visible and ultraviolet light. But you might not know that there are 20 space telescopes in orbit, missions that can each see part of the full spectrum of light. With telescopes acting as our virtual eyes, both in space and here on Earth, we can see some amazing things. And the coolest thing of all, no matter the wavelength or energy, the light that we see out in the distant universe is the same thing as the light that we can experience and study here on Earth. So, since we know the physics of how x-ray, ultraviolet light, or microwaves work here, we can study the light of a distant star or galaxy and know what kinds of things are happening there too. So, as you go about your daily life, think beyond what your eyes can and can't see. Knowing just a little bit about the natural world can help you perceive the full spectrum around you all the time.

Frequently Occurring Word Combinations

ngrams of length 2

collocation	frequency
full spectrum	5
long wavelength	3
visible light	3
radio waves	2
short wavelengths	2
high energy	2
ultraviolet light	2

Important Words

absorbed
acting
acts
amazing
amount
beautiful
big
bit
blue
boat
bob
bobbing
brain
brightness
build
call
called
carry
cells
charge
choppy
close
color
colors
completely
cone
cones
coolest
crackling
crash
crayon
daily
day
detect
detectors
devices
digital
distant
doctors
draw
earth
easy
electromagnetic
energies
energy
everyday
examples
excited
experience
eye
eyes
falling
favorite
feel
figure
fire
food
frequencies
frequency
full
galaxy
happening
heard
heat
high
hits
hubble
human
imagine
instance
interact
invisible
kind
kinds
knowing
life
light
live
long
matter
means
measure
measures
microwave
microwaves
minuscule
missions
moment
natural
night
ocean
orbit
order
part
particle
perceive
physics
pictures
pretty
protect
put
radiation
radio
rainbow
range
receptor
receptors
red
relative
relaxed
remember
retina
rods
roll
rolling
running
sad
sailing
sea
sensitive
shines
shining
shore
short
side
signals
size
sky
small
songs
space
special
spectrum
star
stars
step
stimulate
stimulated
stimulates
study
sun
sunscreen
surface
telescope
telescopes
tells
time
tiny
turns
tv
ultraviolet
understand
universe
virtual
visible
warmth
wave
wavelength
wavelengths
waves
work
world