Light has been the main requisite for scientific investigation ever since. More recently it became clear that substantially more insights can be gained from electromagnetic waves beyond the visible spectrum. In the context of quantum physics, it was acknowledged that the nature of light also limits our knowledge: every observation requires at least one photon and on the Planck scale this holds profound consequences for the observed entities, calling into question the classical dichotomy between observed and observed. In this course, we will address the physics of colors and electromagnetic waves as a resource for knowledge production, as well as philosophical, artistic, societal, and economic consequences.