Gamma Rays

• The wavelength range known as gamma rays are the worst of the worst when it comes to dangerous short wavelengths. These wavelengths possess so much power that they travel through metal -- leading them to commonly be used as an examination device for hairline cracks in metallic objects, such as airplanes. NASA's Fermi gamma-ray space telescope picks up this type of radiation in space, which often results from exploded and imploded stars.
  
  

X-Rays

• Another short wavelength type -- and one that is slightly less dangerous than gamma rays -- is X-rays. Most people are familiar with X-rays, as it is a common medical tool, namely, because they penetrate the body's soft tissues, giving a clear view of the internal bone structure. Like gamma rays, X-rays also serve many critical roles within the transportation industry -- one of the most important being X-ray machines that help detect potentially harmful objects.
  
  

Ultraviolet Light

• Ultraviolet light, or UV light, surrounds people; it's just invisible to the naked eye. The main source of UV light is sunlight; however, many technologies provide UV light as well. The light produced by fluorescent bulbs is actually UV light, which strikes a phosphor coating that glows when struck by ultraviolet light. This glow is what you actually refer to as fluorescent lighting. Alternatively, many animals, such as bees, see UV light, which often comes in the form of patterns on flowers that may just appear an ordinary white color to humans.
  
  

The Barrier Between Short and Long Waves

• When viewing the electromagnetic spectrum, light falls nearly in the middle, separating the three main types of short wavelengths from the three main types of long wavelengths: radio waves, microwaves and infrared waves. Visible light exists from about 430 nanometers to 760 nanometers on the electromagnetic scale. Visible light encompasses everything known as "vision," beginning with the shorter wavelength blue light, up to the longer wavelength red light. Although the example of "waves" is often used to explain light behavior, it actually exhibits wave-like properties, as well as particle-like qualities. The "photon" was born out of the current scientific understanding of light.