Summer 2021 see isthesame. see but we cannever sure be we thatwhat each have words inourlanguages it, to describe mind; colorand ourstate iselusive. of than that. Color depends on surroundings light, it’s of just thespectrum way more perceiveour eyes andbrain ascolor. It’s not can measure thatexactly equates to what brain. There isnoreal-world we quantity but color is100%perceived andinour physicalby some kindof or model device, our world isunderstandable andmeasurable fascinates me. in else Just abouteverything you’veif read my any columns, of color As I’msure you know bynow Chimerical colors Out ofthe Wood BY Mike Wood Figure 1– CIE1931colorspace W e all the wavelengths of light from thewavelengthsall light long of fromthe chart red to blue takes usthrough know thatgoing counterclockwise round line across the bottom of thecurve.line across thebottom of immediately aware the problem magenta of science. something like it, ourcolor asthebasisof candistinguish,brain andwe usethis, or the color sensors inoureyes andthe spaceshaped represents color every that Figure 1. familiar CIE 1931color space in shown suchby asthe comingdiagrams upwith W W e arethatthehorseshoe taught andmake colore try manageable W ithout going any deeperwe are Summer 2021 14 W e somehow see? colors outside thathorseshoe thatwe can we can’t those colors. see N R gamut inorder thevisible to simplify of blue andgreen color pointsthatlieoutside the ProPhoto color space. It usesimaginary I’ve inFigure shown blue triangle 1. That’s that don’t exist? actually is, but are there other colors thatwe cansee oldnews youis all say, might it andindeed two ora mixturemore of other colors. This we them see thatway. canonly exist They as wavelength,exists asasingle even though goes. N back to red andinvents some colors asit to green itinstead takes straight ashortcut red averaging, expect, asyou logically might to go theother blue way plus andinstead of However, atsome point, decides thebrain around else everywhere thehorseshoe. the color inthemiddle, amber. S simply averages thetwo to come upwith ayellowwith light, then theeye/brain line makes sense. Ihave If mixed ared light Color along else this mixingeverywhere magenta colors?create theseimaginary blueshortest back to thelongest red and to short, sowhy join doesthe thebrain GB mathandavoid negative numbers, but I’m nottalkingaboutthered, green, and magenta colors? “ red andcreate theseimaginary blue back toshortest thelongest Why join the doesthebrain one of thesemagenta linecolors one of ow, about what “ imilarly, Summer 2021 “ ou will likely Y Chimerical colors | Chimerical Figure 4 – Stygian blue Figure tare at the dot at the dot Stare do. what to ou know They can’t exist in nature exist in nature They can’t if strictly simple to you adhere nor, be to able we should vision“ theory, . . . but see them, Y After fixating on the green circle and then and then circle fixatingon the green After Stygian colors colors These are Finally Stygian colors. the self- than with perception the opposite than they they appear darker luminous, They than black. darker be, can possibly dark and very simultaneously highlyare that can’t is a combination saturated which The name Stygian comes actually occur. described Plato which Styx, the river from lapis like of“all color, a dark blue as being as ink.” as black yet lazuli, then a good time, for circle in the yellow square. the black to switch blue, a deep is clearly which see a circle it has than darker dark, extremely but to might love you A color right be. any to example, use the same viewing as technique example, 2. Figure did for you will you see a square white the to switching be appear to may It that glows. pinkish circle against, it’s brighter square white than the is brighterwhich is possible. than Out of the Wood Wood of the Out GB ou will see Y 15 PROTOCOL ou can do this with any color color this withou can do any Y Figure 3 – Luminous red Figure ith the page ofith the page this journal well-lit (or is a graphic which helps you see 2 is a graphic Figure helps you which W elf-luminous colors are colors that appear colors are colors elf-luminous Self-Luminous colors S when viewed a medium on even glow to and reflect can only which as paper, such off are These colors its own light. not emit but of not in terms the CIE chart, gamut, an shows 3 Figure ofin terms luminosity. and are therefore, impossibly highly impossibly therefore, and are if nor, in nature exist They can’t saturated. simple vision strictly to theory, you adhere .. . . but see them, be to able should we a hyperbolic orange. with stare bright), reasonably monitor your of center dot in the black the at gaze a fixed then at least 10 seconds, for circle the cyan in dot the black to gaze shift your quickly ofthe center the orange square. a ghostly circle of hyperbolic orange. An An ofa ghostly circle hyperbolic orange. saturation than 100% orange that has more than the square “orange” more and is much This orange falls outside it. surrounding 1 and shownFigure in the CIE 1931 gamut with lighting produce or is not possible to in only albeit fleetingly, exists, It pigments. brain. your and perceive super reds, or extra blues, it extraor blues, reds, super and perceive well with work orange to happens and just the limitations of both printing and R monitors. ou’ve likely very likely ou’ve Y Figure 2 – Hyperbolic orange Figure Hyperbolic colors that have colors are Hyperbolic colors saturations the horseshoe that fall outside Imaginary colors Imaginary actually types a few are There ofimaginary one, just talk about I want to today but colors, These known as chimerical colors. the class say (I won’t can perceive we that all colors are exploiting by there) really as they aren’t “see” imaginary They are our vision colors system. looking fixedly that can be temporarily seen by a while of until for some color theat a strong become in our eye cells cone sensitive color temporarily changing color their fatigued, our gaze switching and then sensitivities, example, For color. different a markedly to staring at a saturated primary-color field in an object lookingthen at a white results of causing an afterimage shift in hue, opposing the complementarycolors. familiar with this effect and may have seen familiar with have this effect and may not may ofsome but before these examples colors perceiving are that you realized have themselves Chimerical colors exist. that can’t self- hyperbolic, subcategories; three fall into The examples and Stygian. are here luminous, paper Paul a 2005 research by from all drawn Some“Chimerical Colors: entitled, Churchland phenomenological Cognitive from Predictions Neuroscience.” Summer 2021 occur. a combination thatcan’t actually is which saturated highly and very are simultaneously dark They “ [email protected]. Standards Council. Mike canbereachedat President ofESTA andCo-Chairofthe Technical entertainment technologyindustry, Mike isapast Intellectual Property. A 40-yearveteran ofthe design, technologystrategy, R&D, standards, and within theentertainmentindustryonproduct which providesconsultingsupporttocompanies Mike Wood runsMike Wood ConsultingLLC, are creating colors. impossible thinganyway,kind of realizing they without likely are designers doing thatlighting this incandescent lights.change of It’s quite much stronger thanthelanguidcolor LEDswould makeswitching of thiseffect amber cyc asahyperamber. of speed The moment, that see brief theaudience will anambercyc stagethen, with a dark for a inFigureused 2, to then switches rapidly is litwith, say, anaqua blue such asthat you can, atleastfor amoment. ascene If reproduce thesecolors on stage, perhaps least, blue isthemostsatisfying. colorswith other thanblue, but, to meat theother examples,As with you cando this esoteric LEDcanexist thiscolor. thatlooks your imagination. of a figment N unfortunately, like theother examples, is have on your cyc scene inanight but that, Out ofthe Wood (October 2005) in Predictions fromCognitiveNeuroscience,” “Chimerical Colors: Somephenomenological Reference: Interestingly, Isay although you can’t Philosophical Psychology Philosophical “ vol. 18no. 5 | Chimericalcolors n o gelor

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