Rumor Spreading via Twitter – “Magenta is not a color”
Reading through some twitter feeds today, we saw a tweet about how there is a rumor spreading through twitter that the color magenta is not a color. In an online article on The Neurostimulation Technology Portal by Liz Elliott entitled “Magenta Ain’t A Colour“, Liz claims that the color magenta is not part of the visible color spectrum. This article on Ars Technica’s website by Chris Foresman begs to differ.
Both articles are an interesting read and provide alternative views on why or why not magenta can be considered a color. Have a look at both articles and let us know, Is Magenta a Color?
Thanks fellow tiwtterits!
1 Comment
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By: JRolla
To me both of these articles are right…and wrong.
To say that magenta is not a color is inaccurate because perception of color stems from the sensitivity of different types of cone cells in the retina to different parts of the spectrum. So if the resulting stimulation generates a discernable and distinct hue to our minds then that is indeed a color.
I think the missing vocabulary here is whether a color is a spectral color or just a color. A spectral color is a color that can be produced by visible light and has a specific and singular wavelength value. Yes magenta is not on this list. . .but then again neither are tan or pink. These colors along with black and white are a function of our brains interpretation of color and desaturation.
While these articles are informative, if not one sided, they cover nothing new. Science has already covered this ground decades ago and there are some good physics articles out there.