The Nature of Light: Light in Nature VI

In the field of optical science and engineering there are many aspects of light we take for granted; yet, do we truly understand and appreciate the nature of light in the world around us? In the natural world there are many fascinating and beautiful effects involving optics. Most of the time we take these effects for granted. Each day optical scientists and engineers discover more about the natural world when we see how new technologies such as photonic crystals mimic the natural world. Photonic crystal-like structures in peacock feathers give the plumes their color. Similar structures in butterfly wing scales provide their iridescent colors. 

Beyond these structures there are effects in the natural world such as the aurora borealis or things as everyday as rainbows and oil slicks. Polarization and color effects brighten up our world. When we look more closely we notice that plants glow and self-bioluminescence provides information about the state of health of organisms. We may even wonder why it is that parrots have a visual response much further into the ultraviolet than we do. 

As optical scientists and engineers, most of us became fascinated with light at some point in our lives. We observe things in our everyday life that we don't often explore or think about, yet there are researchers who spend their careers looking at these effects in nature.