How do you explain the colour blue to someone that was born blond?

retina · 2015-03-24, 10:34

How can a born-blind person conceptualise the notion of colour?

How would you explain colour to them in a way that they can understand?

science_man_88 · 2015-03-24, 12:32

Quote:

Originally Posted by retina

How can a born-blind person conceptualise the notion of colour?

How would you explain colour to them in a way that they can understand?

one of my first thoughts is wavelength.

wblipp · 2015-03-24, 12:56

Does this question mean you already have a satisfactory method of explaining sight? It might help to know how that works so we can integrate the concept of color into the concept of sight.

It seems to me that you should try to explain "color," with "blue" being a special case of color.

How about a musical analogy? The differences among "identical" instruments - pianos or tin whistles, for example. There are more soothing sounds and harsher sounds - color is a similar property of sight.

science_man_88 · 2015-03-24, 13:30

Quote:

Originally Posted by wblipp

How about a musical analogy? The differences among "identical" instruments - pianos or tin whistles, for example. There are more soothing sounds and harsher sounds - color is a similar property of sight.

in school I had a project related to sun exposure and I drew an analogy with wavelengths of sound. because v/F=w; so for example we get that one hertz at the speed of light is roughly equivalent in wavelength to 1 microhertz at the speed of sound. so turning to calculation you could explain the UV spectrum as notes but I think that ended up 21 octaves above middle C so it's far too high to give an auditory equivalent much use without playing with the speed of sound.

tha · 2015-03-24, 14:07

Using sounds makes sense, because blind people can hear well. One could also use the feeling sense. Both these senses create emotions. So I would translate all colors, intensities, shineniness, etc. etc. as emotions to their sound or surface equivalents. I would choose the colors, the sound and the surfaces from natural things because our emotions are already attached to these. Except human made colors that do not appear in nature.

Maybe seawaves on the shore in modest noiselevels are a good representation for blue.

xilman · 2015-03-24, 15:19

Quote:

Originally Posted by retina

How can a born-blind person conceptualise the notion of colour?

How would you explain colour to them in a way that they can understand?

How do you explain "near infra-red", mid-infra-red", "thermal infra-red" and "far infra-red" to someone?

By analogy, of course.

axn · 2015-03-24, 17:13

Quote:

Originally Posted by retina

How can a born-blind person conceptualise the notion of colour?

How would you explain colour to them in a way that they can understand?

Almost any bullshit explanation will suffice, since they don't know the difference.

chalsall · 2015-03-24, 17:27

Quote:

Originally Posted by axn

Almost any bullshit explanation will suffice, since they don't know the difference.

Disagree. Colour is nothing more than frequency.

science_man_88 · 2015-03-24, 17:29

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2014...n_5546752.html

TheMawn · 2015-03-24, 18:43

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-st...s-9196711.html

Brian-E · 2015-03-24, 19:39

Quote:

Originally Posted by axn

Almost any bullshit explanation will suffice, since they don't know the difference.

Quote:

Originally Posted by chalsall

Disagree. Colour is nothing more than frequency.

I rather think you two agree with each other. Certainly I agree with both of your statements (except chalsall's one-word first sentence).

2015-03-24, 10:34	#1
retina Undefined "The unspeakable one" Jun 2006 My evil lair 2·3⁴·37 Posts	How do you explain the colour blue to someone that was born blond? How can a born-blind person conceptualise the notion of colour? How would you explain colour to them in a way that they can understand?

2015-03-24, 17:29	#9
science_man_88 "Forget I exist" Jul 2009 Dumbassville 2⁶×131 Posts	foudn this after I looked at this thread. http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2014...n_5546752.html

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2015-03-24, 12:56	#3
wblipp "William" May 2003 New Haven 2³×5×59 Posts	Does this question mean you already have a satisfactory method of explaining sight? It might help to know how that works so we can integrate the concept of color into the concept of sight. It seems to me that you should try to explain "color," with "blue" being a special case of color. How about a musical analogy? The differences among "identical" instruments - pianos or tin whistles, for example. There are more soothing sounds and harsher sounds - color is a similar property of sight.

2015-03-24, 14:07	#5
tha Dec 2002 1441₈ Posts	Using sounds makes sense, because blind people can hear well. One could also use the feeling sense. Both these senses create emotions. So I would translate all colors, intensities, shineniness, etc. etc. as emotions to their sound or surface equivalents. I would choose the colors, the sound and the surfaces from natural things because our emotions are already attached to these. Except human made colors that do not appear in nature. Maybe seawaves on the shore in modest noiselevels are a good representation for blue.

2015-03-24, 18:43	#10
TheMawn May 2013 East. Always East. 11·157 Posts	http://www.independent.co.uk/life-st...s-9196711.html