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Human color perception: Do you know how we see millions of colors?
In our daily lives, color plays an irreplaceable role. From daily wear and interior decoration to artistic creation and brand design, color affects our choices and feelings all the time. But how exactly are colors perceived by our eyes and brains?
Basic concepts of color
Color is a visual perception based on the electromagnetic spectrum and is not an inherent property of matter. Color perception is related to the object's light absorption, reflection, emission spectrum and interference. Most humans see color through three types of cone cells, known as trichromacy. Different animals, such as bees, can sense ultraviolet light and exhibit different color sensitivity ranges.
The perceptual properties of color include hue, color richness (saturation), and lightness.
Physical properties of color
The characteristics of electromagnetic radiation include wavelength (or frequency) and intensity. When the wavelength is within the visible spectrum, it is "visible light". The range of visible light is approximately 390nm to 700nm. Color perception also has a very complex scientific background.
Color of object
The color of objects depends on how they absorb and scatter light. Most objects scatter light to some extent and do not reflect it specularly like glass or mirrors. Transparent objects absorb little light and are therefore considered colorless, while opaque objects absorb or reflect light.
Theoretical Development of Color Perception
Although Aristotle and other ancient scientists discussed the nature of light and color vision, it was not until Newton that light was discovered as the source of color perception. In 1810, Goethe published "Theory of Color", which proposed a method for rationally describing color experience.
John Young proposed the trichromatic theory, based on the observation that any color can be matched by a combination of three lights.
Color in eyes
The human eye's ability to distinguish colors is based on the sensitivity of different cells in the retina to different wavelengths of light. The human retina contains three types of color-receptor cells (cone cells): short-wavelength cone cells (sensitive to blue light), medium-wavelength cone cells (sensitive to green light), and long-wavelength cone cells (sensitive to red or yellow light). green light sensitive).
Color in the brain
At the retinal level, the mechanisms of color vision are well described, whereas color processing beyond this is not quite as organized. Mainstream theory holds that color information is transmitted through three opposing processes or channels: the red-green channel, the blue-yellow channel, and the black-and-white brightness channel.
Non-standard color perception
A color vision deficiency (such as color blindness) causes an individual to perceive fewer colors than a person with normal vision. Most color blindness is caused by the absence of one or more pyramidal cells, a shift in spectral sensitivity, or a decrease in responsiveness. The most common form of color blindness is congenital red-green color blindness, which affects about 8% of men.
Color reproduction
Color reproduction is the science of creating a faithful representation of the desired color. This process focuses on how to construct a spectrum of wavelengths that best elicit a certain color sensation in the observer. Most colors are not a single spectral color, but a mixture of multiple wavelengths of light, and most human color perception can be generated from three colors (i.e., primary colors).
Each method has its specific advantages and disadvantages, which vary depending on the specific application.
The perception of color is not a simple sensory stimulation, but a phenomenon closely related to culture, experience and psychological state. This is worth exploring in depth when we think about the different meanings of colors and what they symbolize in society and culture. So, what impact does color perception have on your day?
