The totally off-topic thread

[MissBurrill]

Karens-read this and get really worried.
Too Little Sleep: The New Performance Killer | BNET

Thank you for the link Doc. I will take plenty of sugar which won't help me but I'll think it is.

Now I'm having memories of working 30+ plus hour shifts at the Commonwealth Games :shock:

 

[JohnK]

This may sound like a silly question but it is really not that silly. I hope it has not already been answered by some scientist.

Have been in deep thought and started wondering if it is a reality that we have seen all the colours we are likely to see in our current existence.

Does anyone believe there are other colours possible? In the current dimension or another? If so is it possible to picture the colour and describe to someone else? And obviously the colour cannot be a combination of existing colours. My mind keeps drawing a blank every time I think of it....

 

[docjames]

My mind keeps drawing a blank every time I think of it....

My mind hurts thinking about it....

 

[Nigelinoz]

Color - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia has a bit about the subject but probably not enough to really answer your question.
Cheers
N'oz

 

[JohnK]

Color - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia has a bit about the subject but probably not enough to really answer your question.

Nigel I am afraid my question is not possible to be answered in our current existence.

The answers though may well be clearer when we move on to the next plane of existence....

 

[Nigelinoz]

Nigel I am afraid my question is not possible to be answered in our current existence.

The answers though may well be clearer when we move on to the next plane of existence....

Agreed,I mean if you arrived on earth from another planet and had no comprehension of colour then if I were to show you something painted what we call orange you may well describe it as "bright" yet if I create a shade of orange that nobody has ever seen before then how can I describe it to them without using scientific language about the wavelength of the light emitted,even then could I really make you understand what colour I was seeing without you seeing it also.?
All I can ask is this-Did you have a slow day at work today to come up with the topic?:mrgreen:
Cheers
N'oz

 

[serfty]

Don't forget "octarine"!

 

[Nigelinoz]

I'm just waiting for some wag to post a theory that there is no such thing as colour-only black suckers.:mrgreen:

 

[serfty]

I'm just waiting for some wag to post a theory that there is no such thing as colour-only black suckers.:mrgreen:

Surely you mean "Light Suckers of varying spectra".

 

[Nigelinoz]

Surely you mean "light Suckers" of varying spectra.

But colour is just light of varying wavelengths being detected by our eyes and processed by our brains,black is not a colour as there is no light to detect so therefore ....oh hell my brain hurts.:mrgreen:

 

[medhead]

But colour is just light of varying wavelengths being detected by our eyes and processed by our brains,black is not a colour as there is no light to detect so therefore ....oh hell my brain hurts.:mrgreen:

You've hit on the main point here, colour is subjectively based on the observers "light detector" and how it views varying wavelengths of the EM spectrum. Therefore we have seen all colours, to answer JohnK's question, even if we may not have seen them separately, we have seen them all combined as white light at some point. The question of a visitor to the planet was raised, I would say they must have a colour concept, even if the may only view another part of the EM spectrum. So they may be shown orange, but it may call it something different, they may not even be able to see it, and their light detector may see it different from our light detector.

Yes, I'm finding TV to be boring.

 

[whereishome]

On that note, I can highly recommend Flowers Online With Ready Flowers - Same Day Flowers Delivery (no affiliation, i've just used them a bit).

Oh wow! Wish I'd found that site sooner! Really great prices and better selection than interflora too. Oh well, next time!

Also, good news regarding my tragic loss of effects thanks to stupid moving company and the Brisbane floods. I should get the "unaffected" portion of my consignment in the next week or so, after which the warranty process will begin. Warranties are generally sorted within two weeks.

I have actually been actively obtaining replacement cost quotes and forming a spreadsheet that makes Excel groan under the awesomeness, and the meeting I had today with the relocation company reps they indicated that this will help immensely in expediting the claim.

Unfortunately, I am not sure they will be able to ever replace my consecutive year Penfolds vintages, 1873-1928 inclusive. I guess I'll just have to take my compensation money.

 

[Hvr]

This may sound like a silly question but it is really not that silly. I hope it has not already been answered by some scientist.

Have been in deep thought and started wondering if it is a reality that we have seen all the colours we are likely to see in our current existence.

Does anyone believe there are other colours possible? In the current dimension or another? If so is it possible to picture the colour and describe to someone else? And obviously the colour cannot be a combination of existing colours. My mind keeps drawing a blank every time I think of it....

Very interesting and even philosophical for a Wednesday evening.

I don't know the answer but wonder how this would affect people with synesthesia who hear colours?

On the same vein as JohnK's question, how would you describe colours to a person who has been blind since birth?

 

[JohnK]

Agreed,I mean if you arrived on earth from another planet and had no comprehension of colour then if I were to show you something painted what we call orange you may well describe it as "bright" yet if I create a shade of orange that nobody has ever seen before then how can I describe it to them without using scientific language about the wavelength of the light emitted,even then could I really make you understand what colour I was seeing without you seeing it also.?

I can understand about wavelengths creating different colours but how do you describe a colour to someone. Sure you can use scientific jargon but the person you are explaining the colour to would need to know what it looks when they see it.

All I can ask is this-Did you have a slow day at work today to come up with the topic?:mrgreen:

Welcome to my life. I have been thinking about this one for a while but hard to construct an answer. It keeps my mind occupied and sometimes my head hurts and I can sleep better.

Explaining sounds is much easier.

On the same vein as JohnK's question, how would you describe colours to a person who has been blind since birth?

Exactly my point. Almost impossible.

 

[medhead]

I can understand about wavelengths creating different colours but how do you describe a colour to someone. Sure you can use scientific jargon but the person you are explaining the colour to would need to know what it looks when they see it.

There was an australian standard on how to describe colours not just using wavelength.

I don't think it's possible to describe colour to someone who can't experience it, like a blind person, the common experience is missing. But imagine you have a light detector that turns light into feel, their description of light would be different to yours but they could experience it.

 

[JohnK]

There was an australian standard on how to describe colours not just using wavelength.

I don't think it's possible to describe colour to someone who can't experience it, like a blind person, the common experience is missing. But imagine you have a light detector that turns light into feel, their description of light would be different to yours but they could experience it.

No light detectors or outside influences.

You managed to go to Alpha Centauri and saw this really beautiful colour that you have never experienced on earth. How do you describe that colour to me?

As I said you can describe a sound and I would understand the sound if I heard it. How do I see what you saw?

 

[medhead]

No light detectors or outside influences.

You managed to go to Alpha Centauri and saw this really beautiful colour that you have never experienced on earth. How do you describe that colour to me?

As I said you can describe a sound and I would understand the sound if I heard it. How do I see what you saw?

That's sort of easy I'd make sure I classified it according to the relevant AS. Then I could reproduce it on return. I realise that is an outside influence of sorts. But besides measuring wavelength there are other ways to classify colour, computers do it all the time. That makes sharing relatively easy if the other person can also see. Unlike a blind person.

it's been 15 years but I'll try to remember to look up the standard. ISTR it was a fairly simple process.

BTW I was meaning eyes when mentioning a "light detector" or an equivalent inbuilt sense.

 

[NM]

I'm just waiting for some wag to post a theory that there is no such thing as colour-only black suckers.:mrgreen:

Surely you mean "Light Suckers of varying spectra".

But colour is just light of varying wavelengths being detected by our eyes and processed by our brains,black is not a colour as there is no light to detect so therefore ....oh hell my brain hurts.:mrgreen:

not enough beers yet to get stuck into this debate. Suffice to know that its been covered before

All I will state at tis stage is that bulbs/globes absorb darkness - they do not generate light. And this fact is easily proved.

 

[Nigelinoz]

not enough beers yet to get stuck into this debate. Suffice to know that its been covered before

Never fear there is a couple of places we can continue the debate,either at the SYD domestic QP from about 3.30 on the 25th of March (if you are in the area then) or at
Irish Murphys
Cnr George and Elizabeth Street
Brisbane
Qld 4000
07 3221 4377
on Wednesday 30th March from 6.00PM.
(Drinks on me)
Cheers
N'oz

 

[MissBurrill]

I survived night shift. It seemed to go quicker than working during the day.