An example of an impossible color includes reddish green and yellowish blue. These are considered "imaginary" colors because they do not exist in the light spectrum.
Understanding Impossible Colors
Impossible colors are colors that humans cannot perceive under normal conditions. They are not found in the natural light spectrum like the colors of the rainbow. These colors can be categorized into two main types:
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Imaginary Colors: These colors, like reddish green and yellowish blue, are not physically present in the visible spectrum. Our visual system simply doesn't process light in a way that would allow us to see them. The reference states that reddish green and yellowish blue are examples of imaginary colors that do not occur in the light spectrum.
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Chimerical Colors: These colors are created through a visual trick. For instance, by looking at one color until your cone cells become fatigued, and then looking at a different color, you might perceive a chimerical color. The reference explains that chimerical colors result from cone cell fatigue.
Examples of Impossible Colors
| Type | Example | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Imaginary | Reddish Green | This color would be a combination of red and green, which is not possible because these colors exist on opposite ends of our perception spectrum. Our eyes cannot process light in a way that results in this combination. |
| Imaginary | Yellowish Blue | This color would combine yellow and blue. Similarly to reddish green, our visual system isn't wired to see this combination. Yellow and blue light are processed differently by our eyes, and we cannot perceive them as a single color. |
| Chimerical | Visual afterimage | These are colors seen after prolonged exposure to another color. For instance, staring at a bright red square and then looking at a white wall might result in seeing a greenish afterimage. This is due to the fatigue of the cone cells in the eye. |
Why These Colors Are Impossible
The reason these colors are impossible lies in the way our eyes process color information. We have cone cells that are sensitive to different wavelengths of light - red, green, and blue. Our perception of colors is based on the ratio of activation of these cone cells.
- Red and green are opposite colors. Activating both simultaneously results in the perception of yellow or brown rather than a "reddish green".
- Yellow and blue also exist on opposite ends of the color spectrum. Activating both doesn't create a new color but is perceived as some variation of white or gray, not a "yellowish blue".
The human visual system does not allow for perception of these combinations of colors, which makes them impossible within normal visual parameters.
