One of the coolest things I saw last week:
Gender differences in color perception? (via Lab Cat who always seems to have some nice science-y thing up)
Perhaps this explains why my father in law thinks his maroon coffee pot is the same color as the lavender bits in his granite counter top:
Me: That coffee pot is pretty spiffy.
FIL: Yes, as soon as I saw it I knew we needed to have it.
Me: Oh?
FIL: You know, because of the counter top.
Me: .....Ah...
FIL: I couldn't believe it. I mean, what are the chances of finding a coffee pot the exact same color?
Me: Uh...Okay.
Actually, I suspect the true issue has something to do with his developing cataracts, which according to this, can interfere with color perception.
And one of the weirdest things I saw last week:
Via Language Log, I found this article about research suggesting nerds are effectively "hyperwhite". The Dean has some things to say about it here.
I found this to be very interesting. However, what I find odd is the lack of discussion of geek and nerd culture as distinct in its own right. For example, I don't think everyone finds xkcd as funny as some of us do. My non-geeky, non-nerdy students have no idea who M.C. Escher is. And, of course, there is the general lack of recognition of the Kirk versus Picard debate as a valid intellectual, um, enterprise. I'm wondering how this sort of thing fits in.
2 Comments:
If I'm remembering correctly, there are actually to different versions of the gene that codes for red color vision floating around the gene pool. I also think these genes are linked to the Y chromosome, so that the difference affects only men. That may explain why the sexes can disagree on what true red is. Of course, he could just be partially blind.
That is interesting. I would love to be able to switch between seeing exactly what someone else sees and what I see. Sadly, I suspect the maroon-lavender thing really is cataract damage though - my FIL's son (my husband of course) thinks the coffee pot and counter are completely different colors too. Presumably they have the same Y (though interactions with other color vision genes may be complex?).
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