I’m seeing Red. What are You Seeing?
They say dogs see the world in black and white. Cats, on the other hand, see color, but at a more subtle level. Many birds, fish, and reptiles also see color to a certain extent. Some mammals even see yellow and blue the way humans do.
But who’s to say that you see color the way I do?
Think about it. We’re all different. We taste things differently, and we smell things differently. In both cases, something that is pleasant to one person may be repulsive to another. We look different. We speak differently. Some people use the right side of their brain, others their left. Some people shouldn’t wear Spandex [Oh, wait. That's a totally different topic!] Isn’t “the way humans see color” just too general? Isn’t it possible that when I’m seeing red, you perceive it differently?
After all, how do I communicate to you what red is to me? It’s… well… it’s… uh… it’s just red! I know which things are red because someone taught me that the apple I was eating was red, or that the fire engine that screamed by our house was red (back when they actually used to be red, not yellow-green), or that nasty Kool-Aid Hawaiian Punch drink was red (yeah, yeah, you may like the stuff, but it’s all about individual perception), or that sexy polka-dotted swimsuit is red. Sure, we can measure red in terms of frequency, wavelength, vibration, or whatever, but it’s still not possible to convey to you how I’m personally seeing it.
Of course, who’s to say that if we were able to transplant my eyes and the part of my brain that is stimulated by color and that processes images, and connect them to the part of your brain that contains the background knowledge, images and ideas, that we’d “see” color exactly they way we did before. I doubt it.
When we test whether animals can see color, we’re testing their ability to distinguish between differing colors. That’s not the same thing as determining whether or not our perception of red is the same as their perception. For all we know, they don’t actually see in black and white, maybe they just see colors differently. Or, for that matter, they may see colors beyond our perception.
Which leads me back to my point that since we can’t really tell what colors look like to animals (not just what colors they can or cannot see), and we can’t communicate what colors look like amoung ourselves, I’m willing to bet that when I see red, you’re seeing something different.
Richard, it’s really interesting that you write all this. I have had the exact same experience you are speaking of–feeling as though what color I see is impossible to convey to another, and am working on a screenplay that deals with that subject. I imagine the idea is not all too original, but nonetheless, if my screenplay is bought, which most likely will not occur, I wouldn’t want you to think that I stole your concept. There is actually a term for this idea, and I stumbled across your “rambling” in search of that term. It’s Spectoral something or other.
Great minds, well, you know the rest.
Thomas.
Richard ~
I am writing a speculative essay on this topic… your “ramblings” were a HUGE help! Thanks! I have the same view point, I just wasn’t sure how to convey it without confusing everyone (Including myself!) Thanks again
Jen