HEXADECA-CHROMACY

From the perspective of the floating head, vision is the most direct and descriptive form of interaction we have with the universe. We can interpret textures, colors, brightness, darkness, shapes, etc. through sight alone. We are a highly visual species. The occipital lobe, although the smallest of the four paired lobes, is the most dedicated. Its two functions are to interpret visual information and to dream. In our endeavors towards a stellar civilization, the limits of our vision are often overlooked in arrogance.

The cosmos for instance is something we can only engage in visually. Not being physically capable or on the scale to experience it otherwise we rely on visual interpretation to understand the physical object.

(sounds of the universe)

Imagine alien visitors who have evolved around a different sun landing on Earth only to find their "color" vision, comprised of primary colors elsewhere on the electromagnetic spectrum, is incompatible with human communication.

Our trichromatic vision evolved as a way of differentiating between the wavelengths of light most useful to us. Likewise, animals have evolved color vision most effective to their survival, some resulting in tetrachromatic vision.

(tetrachromacy in humans)

The only way for trichromatic humans to visualize multi-chromacy beyond the third degree is through projected representations on to the rgb spectrum.

There are ideas only describable through vision; something inherently romantic about sight. The notion of image allows us to experience, learn and interpret objects and scenarios (real or hyper-real) that are not immediately within our grasps. It seems, though we think in words, we dream in pictures.

Wed, May 4, 2011  Permanent link
Categories: color, vision, sight, tetrachromacy, hexadeca, chromacy

RSS for this post