I was inspired by this episode and drew a mantis shrimp rainbow:

http://www.eveaustinwhite.com/2014/09/mantis-shrimp-rainbow/

I wish I could see more colors on the spectrum too.

someone should write a mantis shrimp orchestra or something, anyone? philip glass?

Shout out to the mantis shrimp from the oatmeal:

http://theoatmeal.com/comics/mantis_shrimp

I really like this radio show, it talks about color by doing some experiments. That’s very interesting. Actually, it’s my first to listen the English radio show. By listening the voice of the conversation, I could image how the experiment works.
Ok, let us talk some about the experiment that they did. I found this segment very colorful no pun intended. Especially, how humans see color verses dogs and most importantly the Mantis Shrimp. I also love music and how three cords of different notes can make a harmonic sound. In comparison to the mantis, I could imagine that its vision would be a combination of major and minor chords within a range of notes that would otherwise be difficult for a human to sing vocally.
I used to think that the shy should be blue. But when I was listening to the podcast, I found that the color blue doesn’t exist in nature. It’s really shock me. The color of blue of is hardest to make, I don’t know why. For a child, when her father ask that what the color of the sky. First time, she said that the sky is white. Second time, she answered that the sky is blue. But she is also very confused between blue and white, so I think that the color also depends on human’s feeling.
From this show, I know that the color is the great knowledge. In Chinese language, we have a lot of different way to describe a color. As we know, the color of red has came a representation of china. In china, the color red represent happiness and peaceful. People use their eyes to see color and use their intelligence to endow color some specific meanings. Therefore, I think the color influence human and human create color.

This is by far the most ridiculous thing I've ever had to listen to for a class. These guys are beyond annoying with their sound effects and their choir . I'm not sure who in their right mind would willingly spend time listening to this. If you are trying to educate people, you have found the most annoying way of doing so… congratulations. please quit radio!

I loved this episode, and the bit about the mantis shrimp is amazing. However, I just found this article which says the mantis shrimp color perception story could be a lot different. Possibly less color discrimination than we have, but a faster system:

http://arstechnica.com/science/2014/01/one-of-the-strangest-animals-on-earth-gets-a-little-weirder/

Does anyone know if there's a transcript for this?

It was interesting to find out what the perception was of the spectrum of light in the eyes of different animals. My friend has a mantis shrimp and I love the color of their bodies, but had never known that they can see so many more colors than myself. It was cool to find out that they have the most complicated visual system. Guess that makes sense as their bodies are so small but their eyes are so huge. The choir was a great touch. I was laughing through the entire podcast!

I found this segment very colorful no pun intended. Especially, how humans see color verses dogs and most importantly the Mantis Shrimp. I also love music and how three cords of different notes can make a harmonic sound. In comparison to the mantis I could imagine that its vision would be a combination of major and minor chords within a range of notes that would otherwise be difficult for a human to sing vocally. Great job Radio Lab combining both music notes and color hues together compliments our visual and audio senses.

this was mine blowing you just told science inside out by describing just the colors you told me a lot and i'm only 14 and that was an amazing description of the colors ROYGBIV science is the best THANK YOU!!!!!

Regarding the evolution the sequence of color sensing. It was mentioned that color sensing started with red then yellow and lastly blue. I did not any of your scientists talk about the fact that the colors of the rainbow are arranged on the energy spectrum as longer wavelength (red) to shorter wavelength Indigo or (ultra) violet. It is known that the atmosphere cuts out ultraviolet energy. Ultraviolet, to a photographer, manifests itself as haze; scattered light of a milky kind of density that appears to be ?? color. The Ozone layer is principal in filtering out ultraviolet. Our Ozone layer has been gradually depleted for years. What if thousands of years ago, the Ozone layer was thicker, or, in other words ultraviolet (and indigo and violet) was filtered out? Is it possible that our eyes evolved distinguishing long wavelength radiation first and shorter wavelength later? What would have aided our ancestors more in the absence of electric light, ultraviolet? or infrared? Is it possible that we once were able to see better longer into the night because we were more sensitive to the lower red spectrum and the more sensitive rods that could distinguish light and dark?

Also, you talked about the young girl Alma, who would not name the sky color, "blue". The sky is not "blue" like a bluebird or a swatch of blue in a coloring book or the crayons called "blue". It is Cyan; and then it changes from a powdery cyan in humid areas near sea level to closer to a true blue at higher elevations. It doesn't get "Blue" until later at night and in thinner atmospheres. Children are very literal and there was no discussion that the little girl noticed the difference of the color of the sky and simply had no name for a Cyan like color. Actually calling Cyan Blue is not giving distinction to the very discernible color variations in the hues of blue.

When I was a student of photography at Rochester Institute of Technology, we were tested for our color vision. I tested out "perfect" color vision being able to differentiate 256 difference colored squares ranging from the reds to the violets in the spectrum. I have noticed my color vision changes with fatigue, excitement, and due to chemicals like Cialis. I am also a meditator and in heightened states of "energy" I have seen beyond the violet spectrum seeing into the ultraviolet. It is wondrous, not to mention the sensation some experience when they perceive auras, which I have been able to do very irregularly. That is a situation where we don't have names for what we "see".

I enjoyed your program and find it one of the best on the air. I think in general, scientists make too many assumptions based on previous discovery, but as my friend the nuclear physicist says, "we can only prove what we know."

Thanks for the program. Keep up the great work!!

Fascinating show. I'm totally blind and love to sing. The choir section brought the rainbow to life for me. Thanks.

The mantis shrimp hallelujah had me laughing out loud at work and got me a few weird looks.

If you haven't seen this Ze Frank video about mantis shrimp, check it out! Hilarious and crazy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XeFxdkaFzRA

I love love this episode! I tell people about it all the time. Why there are comments below mine about 'spells,' I have no idea. But I do agree with the TV comment, I wish more TV was like this radio program.

@ minute 8:56ish, podcast-- "Where is the color?" I can answer this, so listen carefully: The colors are in the bunnies. It's true. I read it on the back of an easter egg dyeing kit that came with tiny, dissolvable, dye-filled bunnies. It's profound; don't overthink it. The colors, my friends, are in the bunnies.

The choir cracks me up! Great episode!

Just re-listening to this for the third time...great episode. But as in previous listenings, Thomas Cronin's voice sounds very...odd throughout your discussion with him.

It's as if it had been electronically altered in some way. It's kinda hard to describe...the word "buzzy" comes to mind.

I'm curious if there were any problems with his voice recording that necessitated any kind of modification, or if he just has a voice that reacts very oddly when recorded and listened to with headphones.

Also, don't know what his problem with indigo is, I'm no scientist but ever since I was taught about the color spectrum, indigo has been ever-present!

"I never believed in spell casting or Magic. I felt silly even looking at spell sites online. I have been in tears over the loss of my job of 4 years and my husband of 2. I lost both in the SAME MONTH. I found you guys surfing late one night and I have no idea why I searched "spells" but I did. I ordered a love spell and got a free wealth and prosperity spell with it. One week went by and I thought...There wasn't any hope for my spells. The next Tuesday I went to bingo (alone) and hit a $3,700 pot. The week after that an old college boyfriend called and we have been seeing each other since. The $24.95 I spent on my spells came back to me with (extreme interest). Thanksto voodoo.u can contact him @ his private mail, VOODOOSPIRITUALTEMPLE@YAHOOMAIL.COM

My Name is lovely..I never believed in Love Spells or Magics until I met this special spell caster once when i went to Africa to Execute some business..He is really powerful.The woman i wanted to marry left me 3 weeks to our weeding ceremony and my life was upside down.she was with me for 3 years and i really love her so much..she left me for another man with no reason..when i called her she never picked up my calls and she don’t want to see me around her…so,when i told the man what happened.he helped me to do some readings,and after the readings he made me to realize that the other man has done some spells over my wife and that is the reason why she left me..he told me he will help me to cast a spell that bring her back.At first i was skeptical but i just gave it a try…In 2 days,she called me herself and came to me apologizing..I cant believe she can ever come back to me again EMAIL boomaspiritualtemple@yahoo.com

Isaac Newton was color blind.
When I take a prism and a piece of white paper into the sunlight,
I can make out sixteen different colors.
Indigo falls In between blurple and pue.

Please tell me the name of the song at 5:33 of the colors podcast.

I got a chuckle out of the reference to Goethe as a "German Romantic Poet", this is like calling Leonardo Da Vinci an Italian Painter. Goethe did foundational work in both color theory and optics....probably a little more tie to your topic than was indicated.

I'd like to see your musical playlist. That version of "Blue Moon" near the end was haunting.

This show was fascinating. As a red/green color blind woman, I knew any sons I had would also be red/green color blind. What I did not know was that my son would grow up to be an artist. He has gravitated to sculpture, where color vision is less important, but the possibility that he might someday be able to have a medical procedure that would allow him to see color like everyone else is really exciting.

I second the vote for a mantis shrimp ringtone, it made me laugh so hard i would call my own cell phone to hear it.

The expression, "to rip a new one" is highly offensive.

I have finally figured out why my wife and I do not see eye to eye in regards to sorting laundry.

All my life I've wanted to see ultraviolet and infrared. Seriously, since age five at least. The thought of being able to get some sort off gene therapy to turn me into a polychromat gave me a shiver.

Can you release the mantis shrimp hallelujah as a ringtone?

You totally blew my mind with this episode, as always! Why don't you have a TV show already? I would love to have seen this onscreen.