Deeply Philosophical Questions 8

[hjgoldstein]

There were also reports of hailstones the size of golf balls falling in the East Midlands

How were hailstones measured before the invention of golf balls?

It is time for pacifists to stand up and fight for their beliefs.

 

[SamBones]

Are we awake, or asleep? How would you know?

The thing to remember is, there is no spoon.

 

[philhege]

this thread got pretty existential rather quickly.

Is the colour red really red or is it green, and we are only told its red?

There's a great article in Discover magazine about tetrachromats that may go a long way toward answering your question... or obfuscating it entirely.

-------++NO CARRIER++-------

 

[philhege]

Oh, and 42.

-------++NO CARRIER++-------

 

[ANFPS26]

I always loved the newspaper headlines that American Dad's Stan Smith read each morning at his front door. My favorite is, "Optimist Drowns in Half-Full Bathtub."

Jim

 

[1DMF]

Is the colour red really red or is it green, and we are only told its red?

No it's every colour but red, as that is the wavelength not absorbed by the object, ergo it's every colour but the colour rejected ;-)

"In complete darkness we are all the same, it is only our knowledge and wisdom that separates us, don't let your eyes deceive you."

"If a shortcut was meant to be easy, it wouldn't be a shortcut, it would be the way!"

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[SamBones]

No it's every colour but red, as that is the wavelength not absorbed by the object, ergo it's every colour but the colour rejected

Uhhh, that depends on whether you are talking about a red object, or a red light. True a red object is not absorbing red wavelength light, but a red light is red light.

 

[CajunCenturion]

True, but color is defined as the wavelengths being reflected, not the wavelengths being absorbed.

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[SamBones]

But, if I turn on a red laser, it is emitting red wavelength light. Absorption or reflection has nothing to do with it. Red light is red light.

Light of a certain color's wavelength, is that color. An object that appears to be a color is reflecting that color and absorbing all others.

Yes, if I have a red cricket ball, it is absorbing all wavelenths but red, and I see the red that's reflected (not absorbed).

And the statement that an object that appears red to us is "every color but red" is just wrong. Yes, it may be absorbing every color but red, but it's not "every color but red". That statement just kind of muddles what's actually happening.

 

[hairlessupportmonkey]

But my question still stands, how do you KNOW its the colour red? Its only because we are taught the colour red, blue, orange, green etc are those colours.

Interestingly my two year old daughter, who is very bright and knows a lot of stuff, and also knows all her colours except she still tells me red is green, even though she also says green is green, yet I have reminded her many many times, its red. I know she is bright, because everything else, I only need to teach her once.



ACSS - SME
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[CajunCenturion]

==> except she still tells me red is green, even though she also says green is green,
That may be indicative of red-green color blindness. It might be worth having an ophthalmologist/optometrist check it out.

That's a good question - How did that color wavelength of ~680 nm come to be known as red, and the wavelength of ~480 known as blue, and so forth. I'm going to look into how the colors got their names.



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[hairlessupportmonkey]

Possible it is, not likely a girl is colour blind, they tend to be the carrier of the gene. No one else in her family is colour blind either. I think its just two-year-old-ness

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[MakeItSo]

But, if I turn on a red laser, it is emitting red wavelength light. Absorption or reflection has nothing to do with it. Red light is red light.
Light of a certain color's wavelength, is that color.

The red of laser light is different to the red of a billiard ball. Laser light is (almost) monochromatic, i.e. of truly one wave length (not exactly, just of a very narrow bandwidth), whereas "normal" red light has a larger bandwidth and is still a mixture of wavelengths.

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Oppose SOPA, PIPA, ACTA; measures to curb freedom of information under whatever name whatsoever.

 

[hairlessupportmonkey]

Scientifically we can describe colour, philosophically and existentially, that's harder.

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[1DMF]

And the statement that an object that appears red to us is "every color but red" is just wrong. Yes, it may be absorbing every color but red, but it's not "every color but red". That statement just kind of muddles what's actually happening.

depends on whether you believe something holds an attribute based on what it is made up of. there is no part of a red wave length in a red object therefore it does not contain anything to do with red.

You just have a different opinion or perspective on things, it doesn't make mine wrong!. the fact still remains that the object contains the energy of light except the red wavelength! I consider something to be made up of things, not what they are not made up of. Is a sponge cake called a fruit cake because it has no fruit in it?


"In complete darkness we are all the same, it is only our knowledge and wisdom that separates us, don't let your eyes deceive you."

"If a shortcut was meant to be easy, it wouldn't be a shortcut, it would be the way!"

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[strongm]

>the fact still remains that the object contains the energy of light except the red wavelength!

That sentence doesn't even begin to make sense, I'm afraid.

 

[1DMF]

To you perhaps, but the thread is called 'Deeply Philosophical Questions' , and that is my philosophical view of colour!

Which is why I beleive blackholes contain all light, and are not black!

"In complete darkness we are all the same, it is only our knowledge and wisdom that separates us, don't let your eyes deceive you."

"If a shortcut was meant to be easy, it wouldn't be a shortcut, it would be the way!"

Free Dance Music Downloads

 

[hairlessupportmonkey]

Yikes! Another can-o-worms.

Light cant escape a black holes gravity, hence why they appear "black" since no light or radiation or energy or matter is being emitted, apart from around the event horizon....

http://www.nasa.gov/audience/forstudents/k-4/stories/what-is-a-black-hole-k4.html

ACSS - SME
General Geek

 

[MakeItSo]

How did that color wavelength of ~680 nm come to be known as red, and the wavelength of ~480 known as blue, and so forth. I'm going to look into how the colors got their names.

That's an excellent question, CC!
I've done some quick digging and found, that "Red" is derived from indogermanic "reudh / rudhirà-h" which means "bloody". This root also lead to the word "rust".
"Blue" comes from ancient German "blao" for "shimmering", and "Green" from ancient German "gruoen" => to grow (also: gruoen=>grow).


“Knowledge is power. Information is liberating. Education is the premise of progress, in every society, in every family.” (Kofi Annan)
Oppose SOPA, PIPA, ACTA; measures to curb freedom of information under whatever name whatsoever.

 

[1DMF]

hairlessupportmonkey - the question is are they black inside? or as bright as a sun, how many photon of light do they contain and would you need your sun glasses should you enter one?

It seems this thread is now looking for a linguistical answer not a phlisophical one ;-)

Why is a chair called a chair or a door a door, they are just labels IMO.

"In complete darkness we are all the same, it is only our knowledge and wisdom that separates us, don't let your eyes deceive you."

"If a shortcut was meant to be easy, it wouldn't be a shortcut, it would be the way!"

Free Dance Music Downloads

 

[MakeItSo]

the question is are they black inside? or as bright as a sun, how many photon of light do they contain and would you need your sun glasses should you enter one

One can only surmise as to what they "look like" inside as no one can take a peek.
They are probably to the greatest part nothing but radiation. Intense radiation. However they wouldn't be bright - visible light is rather low in energy whereas "inside" the event horizon, everything should be very highly energetic, so it is probably all hardest gamma rays. Not even a Ray ban would do you any service there.
Why is a chair called a chair? Because it is a chair.
Although: if you threw one in a black hole it might be spit out by a white hole in an alternate universe as a box of chocolates!

“Knowledge is power. Information is liberating. Education is the premise of progress, in every society, in every family.” (Kofi Annan)
Oppose SOPA, PIPA, ACTA; measures to curb freedom of information under whatever name whatsoever.