What it's like to be color blind

[magamo]

I just stumbled on this video. The poster of the video says it's a set of camouflages that color blind individuals may easily read what is written and "normal" individuals have trouble recognizing. My eyes can't read them, and most of pictures looked like random mosaics, except I could barely see 31 and 40.

Also, it's not easy for me to read the number in the attached picture, but the source of this picture says color blind individuals may be able to recognize it. I wouldn't be able to see the number if I didn't know the answer.

 

[dmmcintyre3]

What does the light on the bottom of an optical mouse look like to someone who cannot see red?

 

[Doctor Q]

I am not colourblind, but my brother was. He was my half brother, so I am unsure of if I am a carrier or not.

Are you male? Does your half-brother share a mother with you or a father with you?

My dad, I'm pretty sure, is HALF-colorblind. Weird, I know, but he only sees some colors differently. The other colors he sees fine.

Almost all color blind people see some colors incorrectly and some colors correctly. Complete absence of color vision is very rare.

Also, it's not easy for me to read the number in the attached picture, but the source of this picture says color blind individuals may be able to recognize it. I wouldn't be able to see the number if I didn't know the answer.

I'm red-green colorblind (I don't see red, having what's called "protanopia") and I see a digit "2" quite clearly.

 

[kdum8]

Wow this is interesting. Two traffic lights, left normal vision, right how a Dichromat would see. I had no idea that all three colors could be very similar. In this case where the lights aren't in perfect alignment and there are 5 lights this could be a real problem! One could become easily confused. If there were no other cars around to cue from what would you do? Proceed with caution?

 

[Doctor Q]

Rather that slow down and be cautious, I'd stop in case the light was red. Just last week I was driving on unfamiliar roads and a few times I came to flashing red or yellow lights that I couldn't interpret. When that happens, either a passenger with me tells me the color or I do whatever the other cars do. If it was just me and no other cars, I'd stop in case it was red.

The trickiest case is when there is no car in front of me but there is a car behind me. If I stop in case the light is red, but the light is actually yellow, the car behind me won't be expecting me to stop and I have to be extra cautious, slowing down very gradually before stopping. If I get honked at, so be it.

 

[DoFoT9]

Rather that slow down and be cautious, I'd stop in case the light was red. Just last week I was driving on unfamiliar roads and a few times I came to flashing red or yellow lights that I couldn't interpret. When that happens, either a passenger with me tells me the color or I do whatever the other cars do. If it was just me and no other cars, I'd stop in case it was red.

The trickiest case is when there is no car in front of me but there is a car behind me. If I stop in case the light is red, but the light is actually yellow, the car behind me won't be expecting me to stop and I have to be extra cautious, slowing down very gradually before stopping. If I get honked at, so be it.

wow that would be very hard to do! i would get really nervous every-time i came to lights - wouldnt be able to stand it!

surely there has to be some sort of law to aid you in telling whigh light is which?? seems unfair to me

 

[Doctor Q]

iPhone and iPod touch can get a free application named BrainColors that claims to "use twelve plates to test your eyes for color deficiences."

(Note the deficiency in the spelling of deficiencies!)

 

[uaaerospace]

Also, it's not easy for me to read the number in the attached picture, but the source of this picture says color blind individuals may be able to recognize it. I wouldn't be able to see the number if I didn't know the answer.

Most obviously a 2! I didn't know I was red/green color deficient until I had to take a vision test for the Air Force Academy. I confidently shot through the color test like a pro, only to find out at the end that I saw the numbers as I should have if I had a color vision problem. Oh well. Needless to say, I failed the vision test.

 

[Menge]

I could read the two as well and I could read all the other numbers in this thread So I've got the eye of thundera

 

[Doctor Q]

I could read the two as well and I could read all the other numbers in this thread So I've got the eye of thundera

I just had a funny thought. It has never occurred to me to start a "What it's like NOT to be color blind" thread, even though I'd really really like to know the answer!

 

[kolax]

One of my friends is colour blind, and we were paintballing couple of weeks ago. There were two teams - green and orange.

He didn't remind us he was colour blind until he was shooting people on his own team!

 

[Doctor Q]

One of my friends is colour blind, and we were paintballing couple of weeks ago. There were two teams - green and orange.

He didn't remind us he was colour blind until he was shooting people on his own team!

I did that too, when my friends (who knew I was color blind) insisted that I play lasertag with them. Our team lost badly, partly because I couldn't tell who was on my team and who wasn't.

 

[EricNau]

I did that too, when my friends (who knew I was color blind) insisted that I play lasertag with them. Our team lost badly, partly because I couldn't tell who was on my team and who wasn't.

I remember my dad having that exact same problem. His accuracy was excellent, but he couldn't tell the difference between the read and green lights.

 

[jzuena]

I just had a funny thought. It has never occurred to me to start a "What it's like NOT to be color blind" thread, even though I'd really really like to know the answer!

You can become a pilot if you are not color blind. My FAA medical test is about the only time that I've had a color vision test where there would be consequences if I failed.

One of my friends is colour blind, and we were paintballing couple of weeks ago. There were two teams - green and orange.

He didn't remind us he was colour blind until he was shooting people on his own team!

Are you sure he wasn't just trigger happy and using his color blindness as an excuse

 

[MrSmith]

I remember my dad having that exact same problem. His accuracy was excellent, but he couldn't tell the difference between the read and green lights.

Please tell me none of you colour blind folk drive!

 

[Noob616]

Add me to the list too, I'm colour blind.

 

[Doctor Q]

I was driving around looking for a parking place in an area that had no parking meters (i.e., parking was free). There was more demand than supply so I had trouble finding a spot. After a few times around the loop, I saw a guy returning to his car, so I slowed down. Sure enough, he got in and pulled out just before I got there. I pulled in and took his place.

I was picking up Mrs. Q and when I got back to the car with her, she told me I had parked in a red zone! So had the guy I saw pull out, but I had no way of knowing it wasn't a legal space. Luckily, I hadn't gotten a ticket. I assume that if I had gotten a ticket I wouldn't have been able to contest and beat it even though I didn't know it wasn't a red curb. I figure that from the parking enforcement point of view it's my responsibility to figure out where it's acceptable to park.

 

[SilentPanda]

Here is a colorblindness simulator... at least they say that's what it is... I can't tell...

http://www.webexhibits.org/causesofcolor/2.html

 

[Doctor Q]

Free iPhone or iPod touch application: Are You Color Blind?

It uses the familiar Ishihara color circles.

 

[pengpai]

fortunately, i'm not

 

[Doctor Q]

An iPhone app that lets you take a photo and study the colors, after specifying which type of color blindness you have:

drColor​

An iPhone app that lets you point the camera at something to identify the color by name:

Retina​

From the description and reviews, it's going to be refined and improved to recognize more colors. See interview with the app's author.

 

[Ttownbeast]

My elementary school principal was totally colorblind everything was in black and white--you could tell when his wife was away on a trip or pissed at him, because the colors of his suits didn't match quite right.

 

[SilentPanda]

Pretty sure this would be a cruel present....

http://www.sonodesign.co.uk/Collection/Products/the_clock_i_cant_see.aspx

 

[Doctor Q]

Pretty sure this would be a cruel present....

http://www.sonodesign.co.uk/Collection/Products/the_clock_i_cant_see.aspx

I can see the 3, 9 and 12, plus the top half of the 6, partly because I know they are there.

 

[SilentPanda]

I can see the 3, 9 and 12, plus the top half of the 6, partly because I know they are there.

Now I just need to move the mounting bracket about 37.6 degrees....