• Question: Is it possible that we aren't all seeing the same colours? That my red could be someone elses green?

    Asked by danrumford to Cat, Daz, Holly, Johnson, Pamela on 15 Jun 2011.
    • Photo: Cat O'Connor

      Cat O'Connor answered on 15 Jun 2011:

      Hi Dan,

      I often think about this really because when I ask my boyfriend to bring me my pink jumper he’ll always bring me a red one!!

      I think that we do generally all see the same colours because the biochemical nature of our retinas is the same. So that means that the sensory area of our eyes is all the same. Obviously, people with colour blindness see certain colours differently which means they won’t see the same colours as people who see in the normal range of colour. While some people think of colour blindness as a disability, there is some research to show that these people may be at an evolutionary advantage!

      Hope this helps

      Cat

    • Photo: Pamela Lithgow

      Pamela Lithgow answered on 15 Jun 2011:

      Hi Dan,
      I think this is a really interesting question. Obviously there is colour blindness where people don’t see the same colours as others, this is diagnosed because sometimes people can’t see certain colours when they are together. But there is nothing really to say that what I have always thought is blue is perceived as blue by everyone else, we all call the colours the same thing because we have been told that the colour we see as blue is blue. If that is the same for everyone I don’t really know!
      Thanks for the cool question!
      Pam

    • Photo: Holly Shelton

      Holly Shelton answered on 15 Jun 2011:

      Colour is a funny one, its your brain’s interpretation of a certain wavelength of light. So when you see a rainbow it is because the different wavelenghts are split up due to the water in the air. The colour one person sees is the one that the brain interprets as that colour. You are taught at school your colours but you are just being taught what your brain recognises as that light wavelenght. So yes we are probably all seeing different things but unless we all start swapping brains we will never know for sure!! Great question

      Holly

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