/2011/11/21/magenta/
{"item":{"status":"visible","url":"\/2011\/11\/21\/magenta\/","trash":"","name":"magenta","parent":"","title":"Magenta exists only in your mind","date":"2011-11-21 10:58:27","filepath":"posts\/2000798_magenta.xml.json","type":"post","content":"<img class=\"alignleft\" style=\"margin-right: 5px; margin-bottom: 5px;\" title=\"color wheel\" src=\"http:\/\/0.tqn.com\/d\/chemistry\/1\/0\/O\/8\/1\/colorwheel.jpg\" alt=\"color wheel\" width=\"180\" height=\"180\" \/>Here's in interesting bit of information on how your brain interprets the real world: \u00a0There is no Magenta color in the real world.\n\nMagenta manifests itself on the wavelength boundaries of human vision. \u00a0For example when you look at a rainbow, you see the colors that range from Violet to Red and Magenta is curiously absent.\n\nA color wheel, however, is created by gradually blending colors, which is why you perceive blending red and yellow light as orange. \u00a0What is happening is your brain perceives an average of the wavelengths, which makes RGB televisions\/monitor pixels so effective.\n\nIf you look at the visible color spectrum, you will notice Violet and Red are on opposite sides of the scale:\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img class=\"alignnone\" style=\"margin-top: 5px; margin-bottom: 5px; border: 5px solid black;\" title=\"visible spectrum\" src=\"http:\/\/z.about.com\/d\/chemistry\/1\/0\/N\/8\/1\/visible-spectrum.jpg\" alt=\"visible spectrum\" width=\"363\" height=\"69\" \/><\/p>\nSo, when the color wheel gradually blends the Violet and Red color area it is basically bending the visible color spectrum and connecting the ends; the result is Magenta. \u00a0Instead of averaging the wavelengths into the expected Green, your brain experiences Magenta while trying to make sense of the edges of visual perception.\n\nWhat could be a better choice for Alpha\/Transparency\u00a0than a non-existent color?\n\nSo, look around. \u00a0You will not see the color Magenta in nature unless it is the product of a blend of Red and Violet light.\n\nSpeaking of <em>edges of visual perception<\/em>, the brain does interesting tricks while compensating for limited sensory input. \u00a0The interpretation of field-of-view is also odd once you try to\u00a0experience\u00a0the <em>edge of your peripheral vision<\/em>.\n\nFix your eyes on a point, then take your hand and explore the edge of your sight. \u00a0You can see your hand at one point, then you can no longer see it once it passes beyond the corner of your eye. \u00a0But where did it go? \u00a0It didn't pass into a <em>black<\/em> visual space. \u00a0But, what did it pass into?\n\nYour brain does not comprehend sight outside of the field of vision and it does not allocate visual cells for the area behind yourself. \u00a0For that we have a mental\u00a0construct\u00a0of the world around us. \u00a0Your hand is passing from a visual existing object to a purely conceptualized object in your <em>mental space<\/em>.\n\nPassing an object over this\u00a0boundary\u00a0is exciting since you almost feel a shudder as it loses all visual existence and only remains positioned in your mind. \u00a0No wonder it takes children a long time to learn people and things don't cease to exist when they are no longer visible.\n\nIt makes you wonder why there isn't a <em>Magenta <\/em>equivalent in the transition between opposing edges of your field of vision...\n\n<em>inspiration from <a href=\"http:\/\/chemistry.about.com\/b\/2010\/02\/17\/what-is-the-wavelength-of-magenta.htm\" target=\"_blank\">Anne Marie Helmenstine<\/a><\/em>\n\n \n\n "}}
