IUBio

"New" colours possible?

Wordsmith wordsmith at rocketmail.com
Wed Oct 31 13:13:39 EST 2001


"Urs Enke" <urs.enke at web.de> wrote in message news:<9rn4t1$2nr$1 at nets3.rz.RWTH-Aachen.DE>...
> For some years now I've wondered
> -- whether the (red-green-blue-mixable) colours we know are all there are in
> this universe, and if not,
> -- whether it might be possible to neurologically change the visual cortex
> (or whatever necessary) to create the sensation of other colours, and
> -- whether there has been any research suggesting that other animals are
> actually seeing different colours than we do.
> 
> I am neither talking of broadening the EM-spectrum we can see by changing
> the eyes' perception (as this would supposedly simply distribute our known
> "rainbow colors" over that new spectrum), nor of mixing pseudo-new colours
> from the base colours that we already know. Also, I wouldn't consider any
> eye-related limitations essential, as I really mean directly tapping into
> one's brain.
> 
> I'd be glad to get any feedback, be it on physical possibility, neurological
> practicability or philosophical thoughts. Thanks in advance for brightening
> or dimming my hopes to see "Color X" before I die... ;-)
> 
> Urs
> 
> PS: Maybe someone even has information on people reporting previously
> unknown ("unmixable") colours after having been under the influence of
> drugs...?

Have you read Wittgenstein's *Remarks on Color*?  It should interest you.

Here's a link to more info on a supposedly new color:

http://www.negativland.com/squant/story/html

Wordsmith :)




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