Color Spectrum?

Question

If we met another species from a distant planet, would they interpret colors differently than humans on Earth?

Answer 1

Definitely, humans can actually only see a small spectrum of the actual light. Whatever beings may be out there would likely have different vision.

Answer 2

Most likely, yes. Some creatures on Earth already interpret colors differently than humans.

Humans interpret colors because of the makeup of our eyes. We have detectors (cones) which can discern different intensities of 3 different wavelengths of light (due to different photoreceptor proteins). This is why we see the full spectrum as combinations of red, green, and blue (additive). All humans see similarly because even through their eyes may be slightly different, they still make use of the same photoreceptor proteins and thus detect light in the same wavelengths. Any differences are caused by variations of the structure: Fewer cones, smaller cone density, flaws in eye structure, underproduction of one or more photoreceptor proteins, etc.

So unless a given alien, or creature here on Earth, has both (a) detection in exactly three different wavelengths and (b) all three detect a similar wavelength as our own cones, presumably by forming the same proteins... then their vision will be quite different from ours.

Answer 3

Amongst humans with average eye and brain anatomy, it's unlikely, thought I wouldn't say impossible, that what we both call red looks like my idea of red to me, and my idea of yellow to you.

The reason being is that we have specific receptors for specific colors and if there is not much of a difference in our receptors, the rest of our eyes, and our brains then there is no reason to believe we'd perceive things so differently. However we may see slightly different shades of red, or yellow, or blue. You may see things with more of a red tint and I may see things with more of a blue tint. I occasionally have more pressure in one eye than another which causes me to see things in one eye with a blue tint and things in the other eye with a orange tint and when this occures I have no idea which is the "normal" tint but chances are there isn't one.

If we met another species from a different planet, chances are they would see things differently, much as we see things differently from different animals here on Earth. Dogs, ones thought to be completely color blind, are now thought to be able to see shades of reds, blues, and violets, and while they can't neccisarily see the fancy embroidery on the rug they just pee'd on, that can see that rat scurrying under the bushes in the darkness of the backyard at night. Cats are thought to see in a color range similar to our own, but more muted. Cats can see about six or seven times better than humans in near complete darkness.

Many birds can see a small creature in thick brush from hundreds of feet away and there are even animals that can see wavelengths we can't.

Answer 4

Forget about aliens, our own animals, interpret colors differently.

But there is something called universal truth (Physics) and it is same for any living being in any planet in any galaxy.

The wavelengh of light is what our brain interprets as colors. White light has light-wavelengths of all colors. That is all we need to know. How we interpret the light wavelength, should not matter.

Answer 5

Different species on THIS planet do that, so the answer is "almost certainly"! They would not likely "see" any wavelengths we don't know about, though, since we have devised ways to detect radiation across the entire spectrum.

Answer 6

It is known that even humans see colors diffrently! No person see's color the same exsact shade as another human does. So I would say that yes if a scientist from a diffrent planet came to us they would interpret color diffrently.

Answer 7

Possibly. That would depend on the anatomy of their eyes (assuming they have eyes). As it is differnt kinds of animals see colour differntly - dogs for example see only black and white, bees and various other insects have eyes made up of small light sensitive units that allow that to see UV marks on plants (mostly flowers) and so on. Eyes are simply a device for reciving light and are all different. Even human eyes are different from one another but we don't usually notice the differences, because they are minute.
It is possible for exapmle that other spicies would be capable of seeing light frequencies that the human eye cannot.

Answer 8

Depends on their anatomy which is dependent on the physical environment of their home planet and what did they had to perceive to suvive. They might be able to see into the infrared or ultraviolet.

Physically, a color is a specific wavelength everywhere. How their brains interpert it is dependent on how they're wired.

Answer 9

of course they might, the humam eye has a focal point of about 20cm and separetes light into different parts. other species does not have to have the same ability, look at cats they can only see in black and white!

Answer 10

highly likely because the colours that we can see is a very small part of the electromagnetic spectrum so there's a big chance that aliens would be able to see colours that we can't