Describe what color is or the basic concept of color

[positron98]

Is there a way to describe what color is or the basic concept of color to a person who has been blind since birth?

If so, how?

 

[Alex00]

try playing Lateralus by Tool to the person in question

 

[climbhi]

Heres something I've always wanted to know. When people who are not blind close their eyes you can still tell the difference between whether the lights in the room are on or off. So if you were to put a blind person in a very dark room and then shine a very bright light into their eyes would they be able to tell any difference?

So using that as one point to go from if they can this is a good way to introduce color to them I think. If not I think that perhaps warmth would be a good way to do it.

 

[positron98]

I don't think a totally blind person can make such a detection climbhi, since the nerves behind the retina would be non-functional.

 

[Mentat]

Originally posted by positron98
I don't think a totally blind person can make such a detection climbhi, since the nerves behind the retina would be non-functional.

You are correct. When we close our eyes, we are really just closing our eye-lids over our eyes (obviously) and they aren't thick enough to block out alllight.

BTW, Welcome to the PFs positron98

As far as your original question goes, I think that there is very little need to describe color to a blind person. They don't really have any use of it. If I were to attempt this, I'd probably just give technical definitions of color, as opposed to actually describing it. This may not be good enough for a blind person who wants to experience color (which they won't be able to do anyway), but it will be enough to let that person understand the physics behind color.

I guess what I'm saying is that there isn't much point in trying to describe color to a blind person, because it probably isn't possible. However, it is possible to describe color in the technical sense, and as it is used in understanding Physics, and this could to the person.