Hello friends,

Today as I was reading Vodsel's amazing "Basics for Successful Indoor Gardening" thread, a thought crossed my mind and I need to share it with you.


The electromagnetic spectrum is the range of frequencies of electromagnetic radiation and their respective wavelengths and photon energies.

In that range, there is a variety of EM radiation with wavelengths ranging between 1pm (picometre - equal to one trillionth of a meter) up to 100Mm (megameter - equals 100,000Km).

A typical human eye will respond to wavelengths from about 390nm to 700nm (nanometres - equal to one billionth of a meter). So far so good.

In botany there is a term known as "Photosynthetically Active Radiation" (PAR). It denotes the range of EM radiation wavelengths that are used by all plants to perform photosynthesis. That range is between 400nm and 700nm.

Given the astronomical range of wavelengths in the entire spectrum, what we are able to perceive is, at best, an insignificant portion. What I find astonishing however is that the range we are able to perceive is basically the same range that plants use to break down CO2 and water into Oxygen and glucose.

Is that a pure coincidence, or is there a direct link between the matching range of light humans and plants use? Does it speak to the sacred connection between human and nature?

Let me know what you think.

Much love.

Good observation Nydex.

I think the point is that the "visible" light spectrum and PAR have just the right amount of energy for the human eye and the photosintetic aparatus to work optimally.

Also some animals will use other wave-lenghts and plants have many more pigments to use.

It's very interesting however that both of these aparatuses use the same.

http://harvardforest.fas...rvard.edu/leaves/pigment

Yes I find that correlation very intriguing indeed. To me personally, it speaks for the sacred spiritual connection between humans and vegetation. We couldn't exist without plants, so for some reason we are able to perceive the same wavelength as them. Not sure what that means yet, but I find it fascinating.