how can you prove that red is red and not blue?

Answer 1

With a light wavelength meter.

http://www.lightmeasurement.com/

Answer 2

Actually, I can't. "Red" is just the name we have given that particular color. When we look at a rose, the light that is reflected by it has a certain wavelength and frequency and the color that is produced is what we call "red". Whoever it was that came up with the colors, just happened to point to something and said that color is red and that is what we say today. He/she could just have easily pointed to that same object and said blue, or yellow, or any other color, or any other word for that matter. What we know as red today could have easily been "cat", or "styrofoam", or "ghfuhkkto".

However, there is no way to be 100% sure that everyone sees the same color when they look at a certain object. For example, if I pointed to a flower and said it was red, person x who was standing next to me (unless he was colorblind) would probably agree. However, maybe person x saw a different color when he looked at the flower; maybe he saw what I would call blue, but to him it was red. When a toddler is learning the colors for the first time, an adult points to something and tells the youngster that that object is "red". Maybe the light the child sees has a different wavelength and frequency and is therefore a different color. But he would never know that he sees things differently because he was taught that that particular color was red and could never know otherwise. Althouth it's unlikely, some people may actually see a world with totally different colors.

Answer 3

We use words (concrete ideas) like red and blue to represent the abstract ideas of color like red and blue so that we can communicate with one another. One cannot prove or disprove the ideas of red or blue. What you picture in your mind as the color red or blue cannot be communicated appropriately to another person without the words. Therefore your idea of red or blue cannot be proven or not. Besides can you picture the color red or blue in your mind without it being something concrete? All we have is the ability to communicate our ideas with concrete words. Can you prove that you have an idea? Can you disprove it?

Answer 4

you can't. are you happy? I could never know if what I refer to as "red" is "really" blue if i use the word "red" just as everyone else does, but just happen to have a blue experience instead of a red one.

Answer 5

The same way we prove that the sky is blue and not red.

Answer 6

by looking at it.
red is red because that is what it has ben called since the color was seen.
its not blue because blue is blue, not red.

Answer 7

of course red is red and not blue...if it was blue it would be....well, blue.

now, can you prove that blue is not red? i've always had my doubts about blue.

Answer 8

obviously, you haven't spent enough time with conservative republicans. once you have, it becomes very clear that red is not blue. ;-)

Answer 9

What's da matter, sugar? Are ya color blind or just blinded by the light? Havin' fun ya little nut?

Answer 10

go to beach