Comments on: What does the world look like when you're color blind? http://boingboing.net/2013/02/05/what-does-the-world-look-like.html Brain candy for Happy Mutants Sun, 19 May 2013 17:02:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.1 By: Anna Scholz http://boingboing.net/2013/02/05/what-does-the-world-look-like.html#comment-1647599 Anna Scholz Wed, 06 Feb 2013 09:49:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=210985#comment-1647599 I found another useful freeware program to simulate color blindness. Unfortunately the menu is in german but I think it is still easy to use. You can download it at http://www.eyesyde.de/de/download.html?ber=6. A great advantage is that you can use "eye.syde" dynamically like a screen magnifying glass. You can convert everything you see on the screen, not only single pictures.  I found another useful freeware program to simulate color blindness. Unfortunately the menu is in german but I think it is still easy to use. You can download it at http://www.eyesyde.de/de/download.html?ber=6. A great advantage is that you can use “eye.syde” dynamically like a screen magnifying glass. You can convert everything you see on the screen, not only single pictures. 

]]> By: Forced2Register http://boingboing.net/2013/02/05/what-does-the-world-look-like.html#comment-1647544 Forced2Register Wed, 06 Feb 2013 06:48:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=210985#comment-1647544 i am able to see all colors and both pictures look real to me :-) i am able to see all colors and both pictures look real to me :-)

]]> By: Forced2Register http://boingboing.net/2013/02/05/what-does-the-world-look-like.html#comment-1647542 Forced2Register Wed, 06 Feb 2013 06:45:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=210985#comment-1647542 When I was a child, I discovered a friend was colorblind because he kept mistaking Nigeria from Italy at pro evolution soccer! :-) When I was a child, I discovered a friend was colorblind because he kept mistaking Nigeria from Italy at pro evolution soccer! :-)

]]> By: Ladyfingers http://boingboing.net/2013/02/05/what-does-the-world-look-like.html#comment-1647451 Ladyfingers Wed, 06 Feb 2013 03:29:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=210985#comment-1647451 I can't tell if the likes you got for this were because you confirmed the example works or because everyone's glad you're colour-blind. I can’t tell if the likes you got for this were because you confirmed the example works or because everyone’s glad you’re colour-blind.

]]> By: Dlo Burns http://boingboing.net/2013/02/05/what-does-the-world-look-like.html#comment-1647443 Dlo Burns Wed, 06 Feb 2013 03:20:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=210985#comment-1647443 I'd imagine it'd be like the UV simulated pictures of flowers bees see http://alittlereality.blogspot.com/2012/01/four-ways-god-screwed-up-humans.html I’d imagine it’d be like the UV simulated pictures of flowers bees see

http://alittlereality.blogspot.com/2012/01/four-ways-god-screwed-up-humans.html

]]> By: Dlo Burns http://boingboing.net/2013/02/05/what-does-the-world-look-like.html#comment-1647437 Dlo Burns Wed, 06 Feb 2013 03:13:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=210985#comment-1647437 can you tell a difference in the background and zipper? can you tell a difference in the background and zipper?

]]> By: Antinous / Moderator http://boingboing.net/2013/02/05/what-does-the-world-look-like.html#comment-1647199 Antinous / Moderator Wed, 06 Feb 2013 00:08:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=210985#comment-1647199 I, on the other hand, was quite surprised to discover that the Wicked Witch of the West was green. I, on the other hand, was quite surprised to discover that the Wicked Witch of the West was green.

]]> By: Chris McLean http://boingboing.net/2013/02/05/what-does-the-world-look-like.html#comment-1647110 Chris McLean Tue, 05 Feb 2013 23:20:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=210985#comment-1647110 I've been trying to work out why these things don't sit right with me. I show them to my friends every now and then. But they are little more than party tricks that elicit ooh's and ah's. This is not how I see the world. This is a relative approximation of what your eyes would see. Create a "what colour vision normal see" and I'd be aghast as well I’ve been trying to work out why these things don’t sit right with me. I show them to my friends every now and then. But they are little more than party tricks that elicit ooh’s and ah’s. This is not how I see the world. This is a relative approximation of what your eyes would see. Create a “what colour vision normal see” and I’d be aghast as well

]]> By: Jeff Scherr http://boingboing.net/2013/02/05/what-does-the-world-look-like.html#comment-1647039 Jeff Scherr Tue, 05 Feb 2013 22:39:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=210985#comment-1647039 Fujitsu has a freeware program I find helpful when trying to simulate colorblindedness for web design or other applications: http://www.fujitsu.com/global/accessibility/assistance/cd/download.html Fujitsu has a freeware program I find helpful when trying to simulate colorblindedness for web design or other applications:

http://www.fujitsu.com/global/accessibility/assistance/cd/download.html

]]> By: daneyul http://boingboing.net/2013/02/05/what-does-the-world-look-like.html#comment-1647024 daneyul Tue, 05 Feb 2013 22:29:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=210985#comment-1647024 Maggie, You should consider doing a post on the work of Jay Neitz and his colleagues at University of Washington (and U Florida I believe).  They have cured red/green color blindness in monkeys, and are set to begin trials (hopefully soon) on humans.  It's amazing to see the videos of the monkeys now able to pass all the tests they couldn't before.  Evidently it works by putting the missing color-blind-gene into a harmless virus and injecting into the eye, it "infects" the retina with the gene and a few weeks later--permanent full color vision.  Sounds kind of weird, but also kind of amazing. 4 years later, the monkeys are still fine and seeing full color. They first did it in 2009--tons of science news about it then, but haven't seen much since other than the monkeys are still doing good and their working toward human trials.  I would love to see Boing Boing's take on this and maybe get some more info on what the status is, and if you see any issues that didn't come through in the main stream accounts. Especially seeing how many color blind boingers their are out there (My son is red/green color blind). One of many links on it. http://news.ufl.edu/2009/09/16/colorblind/ Maggie,

You should consider doing a post on the work of Jay Neitz and his colleagues at University of Washington (and U Florida I believe).  They have cured red/green color blindness in monkeys, and are set to begin trials (hopefully soon) on humans.  It’s amazing to see the videos of the monkeys now able to pass all the tests they couldn’t before.  Evidently it works by putting the missing color-blind-gene into a harmless virus and injecting into the eye, it “infects” the retina with the gene and a few weeks later–permanent full color vision. 

Sounds kind of weird, but also kind of amazing. 4 years later, the monkeys are still fine and seeing full color.

They first did it in 2009–tons of science news about it then, but haven’t seen much since other than the monkeys are still doing good and their working toward human trials.  I would love to see Boing Boing’s take on this and maybe get some more info on what the status is, and if you see any issues that didn’t come through in the main stream accounts. Especially seeing how many color blind boingers their are out there (My son is red/green color blind).

One of many links on it.

http://news.ufl.edu/2009/09/16/colorblind/

]]> By: Sparrow http://boingboing.net/2013/02/05/what-does-the-world-look-like.html#comment-1646972 Sparrow Tue, 05 Feb 2013 21:58:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=210985#comment-1646972 I grew up with an ancient black and white TV, and had no trouble distinguishing the colors it showed, but friends who were only used to color TV would always look at me weird if I pointed out the "red" car in a program. I don't doubt that people who are color-blind have developed the skill of identifying common colors from the tonal qualities in the colors that they can see. My father has red-green color-blindness but seems to have no trouble reading resistor color codes, but can't pick an appropriately coloured shirt to save his life.  I grew up with an ancient black and white TV, and had no trouble distinguishing the colors it showed, but friends who were only used to color TV would always look at me weird if I pointed out the “red” car in a program. I don’t doubt that people who are color-blind have developed the skill of identifying common colors from the tonal qualities in the colors that they can see. My father has red-green color-blindness but seems to have no trouble reading resistor color codes, but can’t pick an appropriately coloured shirt to save his life. 

]]> By: Sean Hyde-Moyer http://boingboing.net/2013/02/05/what-does-the-world-look-like.html#comment-1646947 Sean Hyde-Moyer Tue, 05 Feb 2013 21:40:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=210985#comment-1646947 There is a very cool implementation of this available on iOS. It's called Chromatic Vision Simulator, and it allows you to alter the camera feed in real time to simulate 3 different flavors of color blindness. It's fun to walk around the house, the yard, looking at the world through other eyes. There is a very cool implementation of this available on iOS. It’s called Chromatic Vision Simulator, and it allows you to alter the camera feed in real time to simulate 3 different flavors of color blindness.

It’s fun to walk around the house, the yard, looking at the world through other eyes.

]]> By: absimiliard http://boingboing.net/2013/02/05/what-does-the-world-look-like.html#comment-1646885 absimiliard Tue, 05 Feb 2013 21:10:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=210985#comment-1646885 Ooooh!  You're right, the zipper-pull IS different too! I see it as blue v. blue (maybe purple) -abs finds the whole phenomenom fascinating Ooooh!  You’re right, the zipper-pull IS different too!

I see it as blue v. blue (maybe purple)

-abs finds the whole phenomenom fascinating

]]> By: billstreeter http://boingboing.net/2013/02/05/what-does-the-world-look-like.html#comment-1646831 billstreeter Tue, 05 Feb 2013 20:39:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=210985#comment-1646831 I have protanopia but I suspect that there are degrees to which you can be affected. There's also some good research that shows that some component of color perception is learned too. So a person who is color blind (that lack or have defective L-cones) can probably learn to compensate for it to some degree. One example is the fact that people who work in occupations that require a fine attention to color, such as designers, painters, artists etc, can often make very fine distinctions between color that most other people can't perceive when their eyes aren't physically any better or worse at color perception. That said, as a color blind person who has worked in a color critical occupation for nearly 20 years, I certainly CAN see a significant difference between the two photos. The bike frame on the left looks bright red and the other looks black and I can see other subtle differences in the other colors as well. I have protanopia but I suspect that there are degrees to which you can be affected. There’s also some good research that shows that some component of color perception is learned too. So a person who is color blind (that lack or have defective L-cones) can probably learn to compensate for it to some degree. One example is the fact that people who work in occupations that require a fine attention to color, such as designers, painters, artists etc, can often make very fine distinctions between color that most other people can’t perceive when their eyes aren’t physically any better or worse at color perception.

That said, as a color blind person who has worked in a color critical occupation for nearly 20 years, I certainly CAN see a significant difference between the two photos. The bike frame on the left looks bright red and the other looks black and I can see other subtle differences in the other colors as well.

]]> By: Nathan E. Milos http://boingboing.net/2013/02/05/what-does-the-world-look-like.html#comment-1646814 Nathan E. Milos Tue, 05 Feb 2013 20:26:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=210985#comment-1646814 As a red/green color blindy (slightly). The bikes are obvious, the zipper pull is obvious, the back walls I can tell apart, but only just.  They look quite similar to me.  I can tell they are different, but not by much. One looks like a green starburst candy, the other like an orangey yellow one. As a red/green color blindy (slightly). The bikes are obvious, the zipper pull is obvious, the back walls I can tell apart, but only just.  They look quite similar to me.  I can tell they are different, but not by much. One looks like a green starburst candy, the other like an orangey yellow one.

]]> By: absimiliard http://boingboing.net/2013/02/05/what-does-the-world-look-like.html#comment-1646784 absimiliard Tue, 05 Feb 2013 20:05:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=210985#comment-1646784 Fascinating, I see the difference in the bikes easily, but until someone in the comments claimed the backgrounds differ I had no idea.  I still can't see any difference in the background mind you, I just take it as truth that they are different.  (If pushed I'd guess the background is a kind of that color "green" that people claim exists.) -abs is pretty sure that "Green" is a conspiracy headed up by his wife, but how she managed to get so influential as to get almost everyone in the world to consistently agree on the existance of this "color Green" is beyond him, well, she is hot, so maybe that's it Fascinating, I see the difference in the bikes easily, but until someone in the comments claimed the backgrounds differ I had no idea.  I still can’t see any difference in the background mind you, I just take it as truth that they are different.  (If pushed I’d guess the background is a kind of that color “green” that people claim exists.)

-abs is pretty sure that “Green” is a conspiracy headed up by his wife, but how she managed to get so influential as to get almost everyone in the world to consistently agree on the existance of this “color Green” is beyond him, well, she is hot, so maybe that’s it

]]> By: Ted Burmeister http://boingboing.net/2013/02/05/what-does-the-world-look-like.html#comment-1646771 Ted Burmeister Tue, 05 Feb 2013 19:58:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=210985#comment-1646771 Exactly. The bike on the left looks red to me -- either because I know it's red and I'm suggestible that way or (just as likely) because the "tone" is not quite right for a green bike, which would probably be darker.  But that's just based on my experience with bike and other consumer item colors. If you insisted that really was a green bike, I couldn't argue. Things like tape flags and map legends are where the real problems are.  The color choices can be arbitrary. Exactly.

The bike on the left looks red to me — either because I know it’s red and I’m suggestible that way or (just as likely) because the “tone” is not quite right for a green bike, which would probably be darker.  But that’s just based on my experience with bike and other consumer item colors. If you insisted that really was a green bike, I couldn’t argue.

Things like tape flags and map legends are where the real problems are.  The color choices can be arbitrary.

]]> By: NrdyGrl http://boingboing.net/2013/02/05/what-does-the-world-look-like.html#comment-1646767 NrdyGrl Tue, 05 Feb 2013 19:55:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=210985#comment-1646767 My husband is red/green color blind and it's caused no end of "problems" for us.  For example the time I painted my nails chocolate brown and he gave me a little hassle for wearing black finger nail polish.  Or any of the times I've asked him for suggestions as to what shirt to wear and he says "the brown one" and then picks up a mint green shirt!  On a side note, I had no idea what the scientific names for colorblindness were and now I feel like I've got a huge gap in my education.  Time for some reading..... I think color and our perception of it is a fascinating subject.  Radio Lab did a really interesting episode about color and I highly recommend it.  You can find it here: http://www.radiolab.org/2012/may/21/ My husband is red/green color blind and it’s caused no end of “problems” for us.  For example the time I painted my nails chocolate brown and he gave me a little hassle for wearing black finger nail polish.  Or any of the times I’ve asked him for suggestions as to what shirt to wear and he says “the brown one” and then picks up a mint green shirt!  On a side note, I had no idea what the scientific names for colorblindness were and now I feel like I’ve got a huge gap in my education.  Time for some reading…..

I think color and our perception of it is a fascinating subject.  Radio Lab did a really interesting episode about color and I highly recommend it.  You can find it here: http://www.radiolab.org/2012/may/21/

]]> By: duncancreamer http://boingboing.net/2013/02/05/what-does-the-world-look-like.html#comment-1646748 duncancreamer Tue, 05 Feb 2013 19:41:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=210985#comment-1646748 These tools are a necessity for designing interfaces.  These tools are a necessity for designing interfaces. 

]]> By: RayCornwall http://boingboing.net/2013/02/05/what-does-the-world-look-like.html#comment-1646746 RayCornwall Tue, 05 Feb 2013 19:39:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=210985#comment-1646746 FYI- this is a great comment thread. Thanks to everyone who's posting responses. FYI- this is a great comment thread. Thanks to everyone who’s posting responses.

]]> By: Incipient Madness http://boingboing.net/2013/02/05/what-does-the-world-look-like.html#comment-1646743 Incipient Madness Tue, 05 Feb 2013 19:36:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=210985#comment-1646743  Yes, and color blind people are often quite capable of using visual cues other than color to correctly assess the color of an object even when they do not see it as the rest of us do. "Hey, it's that funny shade of gray that stands out only just a little that people make a big deal out of for some reason by calling it "red". It's very similar to another group of shades people call "green". Why they care so much about this is a bit beyond me. I'm gonna put on my old blue sweatshirt and paint my walls yellow." This skill at naming colors even without the proper mix of cones in the retina is why it sometimes takes something as complicated as the Ishihara plates to determine color blindness.  Yes, and color blind people are often quite capable of using visual cues other than color to correctly assess the color of an object even when they do not see it as the rest of us do. “Hey, it’s that funny shade of gray that stands out only just a little that people make a big deal out of for some reason by calling it “red”. It’s very similar to another group of shades people call “green”. Why they care so much about this is a bit beyond me. I’m gonna put on my old blue sweatshirt and paint my walls yellow.”

This skill at naming colors even without the proper mix of cones in the retina is why it sometimes takes something as complicated as the Ishihara plates to determine color blindness.

]]> By: jrishel http://boingboing.net/2013/02/05/what-does-the-world-look-like.html#comment-1646723 jrishel Tue, 05 Feb 2013 19:24:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=210985#comment-1646723 if you're colorblind and have a smartphone, take a look at the DanKam app, which uses "hue quantization" to force camera sensed colors into sections of the spectrum that use colorblind folks CAN tell apart. It's very helpful when i need to tell if an LED is yellow or green or orange. attached is how it lets me see that the backround is green on the left and yellow/orange on the right. if you’re colorblind and have a smartphone, take a look at the DanKam app, which uses “hue quantization” to force camera sensed colors into sections of the spectrum that use colorblind folks CAN tell apart. It’s very helpful when i need to tell if an LED is yellow or green or orange. attached is how it lets me see that the backround is green on the left and yellow/orange on the right.

]]> By: jrishel http://boingboing.net/2013/02/05/what-does-the-world-look-like.html#comment-1646717 jrishel Tue, 05 Feb 2013 19:20:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=210985#comment-1646717 I had a good guess that something was different on the background, but I couldn't tell you what it was, I just know the color that I do see there is yellowish/greenish shade that I can never tell apart, so I strongly suspected that was a problem area. I had a good guess that something was different on the background, but I couldn’t tell you what it was, I just know the color that I do see there is yellowish/greenish shade that I can never tell apart, so I strongly suspected that was a problem area.

]]> By: etherist http://boingboing.net/2013/02/05/what-does-the-world-look-like.html#comment-1646710 etherist Tue, 05 Feb 2013 19:18:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=210985#comment-1646710 There are different flavors of colorblindness.  I have the most common type, deuteranomaly, and the two pictures are clearly different to me. If you were to quiz me about each of the colors in the picture on the left, some of my answers would not make sense to you. If you told me the bike on the left was green, I would have to get up close to my monitor, and look at for a little while to be sure it was red.  Or is it green?  Damn, now I'm not sure. There are different flavors of colorblindness.  I have the most common type, deuteranomaly, and the two pictures are clearly different to me.
If you were to quiz me about each of the colors in the picture on the left, some of my answers would not make sense to you.

If you told me the bike on the left was green, I would have to get up close to my monitor, and look at for a little while to be sure it was red.  Or is it green?  Damn, now I’m not sure.

]]> By: ladyaxe http://boingboing.net/2013/02/05/what-does-the-world-look-like.html#comment-1646708 ladyaxe Tue, 05 Feb 2013 19:13:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=210985#comment-1646708 My husband is colorblind so I showed him both pictures and asked if they were different, but didn't say anything about color. He said they looked the same. Once I told him what was different, he started noticing things, like the bike being a different color. However, I mentioned that the wall in the background was a different color, and he couldn't tell that on his own, and could barely see it when he knew to look at it. Colorblindness is something that is hard to explain to someone that can "see" all colors, because they seem so different, so I really appreciate this post because it helps me understand him better.  My husband is colorblind so I showed him both pictures and asked if they were different, but didn’t say anything about color. He said they looked the same. Once I told him what was different, he started noticing things, like the bike being a different color. However, I mentioned that the wall in the background was a different color, and he couldn’t tell that on his own, and could barely see it when he knew to look at it. Colorblindness is something that is hard to explain to someone that can “see” all colors, because they seem so different, so I really appreciate this post because it helps me understand him better. 

]]> By: chenille http://boingboing.net/2013/02/05/what-does-the-world-look-like.html#comment-1646706 chenille Tue, 05 Feb 2013 19:12:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=210985#comment-1646706 But do you have protanopia? There are different types of color blindness, which will let you distinguish different colors. Assuming they at least make things appear similar, playing with programs like this seems like a good way to get a feel for them. But do you have protanopia? There are different types of color blindness, which will let you distinguish different colors.

Assuming they at least make things appear similar, playing with programs like this seems like a good way to get a feel for them.

]]> By: entireleaves http://boingboing.net/2013/02/05/what-does-the-world-look-like.html#comment-1646679 entireleaves Tue, 05 Feb 2013 18:51:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=210985#comment-1646679 My brother is color blind and I always wondered what it is like seeing the world through his eyes. I used to tease the hell out of him as a kid though. My brother is color blind and I always wondered what it is like seeing the world through his eyes. I used to tease the hell out of him as a kid though.

]]> By: George Schlossnagle http://boingboing.net/2013/02/05/what-does-the-world-look-like.html#comment-1646677 George Schlossnagle Tue, 05 Feb 2013 18:50:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=210985#comment-1646677  I'm color bind and can't tell the difference between the two pictures.  :-/  I’m color bind and can’t tell the difference between the two pictures.  :-/

]]> By: Casual_Economy http://boingboing.net/2013/02/05/what-does-the-world-look-like.html#comment-1646673 Casual_Economy Tue, 05 Feb 2013 18:49:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=210985#comment-1646673 Can you? They're pictures so we have to take the author at her word, she says the one on the left with the red bike, green wall, pink zipper and sleeve is the real one. The one on the right with the black bike, marigold wall, blue-ish zipper sleeve is the color-blind one. Can you? They’re pictures so we have to take the author at her word, she says the one on the left with the red bike, green wall, pink zipper and sleeve is the real one. The one on the right with the black bike, marigold wall, blue-ish zipper sleeve is the color-blind one.

]]> By: bkad http://boingboing.net/2013/02/05/what-does-the-world-look-like.html#comment-1646669 bkad Tue, 05 Feb 2013 18:48:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=210985#comment-1646669 No. For a color blind viewer, both pictures are distorted. The 'reference' picture is distorted because the viewer is color blind. The 'simulated' picture is double-distorted: Once for the simulation, and then a second time by the viewer's color blindness. No. For a color blind viewer, both pictures are distorted. The ‘reference’ picture is distorted because the viewer is color blind. The ‘simulated’ picture is double-distorted: Once for the simulation, and then a second time by the viewer’s color blindness.

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