I just came across an article about Ford who think that the colour of the lighting in a car interior can affect driving alertness, giving drivers enhanced attention span, improving safety.
They say that a blue colour is best for alertness. I was intrigued by the statement:
The brain does not see color. What we call color of light is actually a form of electromagnetic energy with different wavelengths.
Seems to be by someone who thinks that colour is perceptual rather than physics – see my view on this.
They also say:
Certain levels or combinations of light trigger enzymes in the brain, which cause emotional responses within the body – states we recognize as stress, calmness or happiness – and can influence everything from your blood pressure to your buying decisions.
Interesting 🙂
The distinction between perceptual and physical colours is helpful to me for understanding the relationship between colour and culture. I had been wondering if a particular shade of red was strongly related to an image of Japan. Now, I no longer cannot simply say, “this red is very Japanese”, if I understand the distinction correctly. I realized that we are able to understand meanings of colours, use colours properly, evaluate colours, be moved by colours, etc., because we see, or percept, colours in contexts. This sounds similar to a definition of language. It is very interesting.
Sounds to me like Ford’s copywriter doesn’t much care whether colour is physical or perceptual but strongly believes that the act of superficially understanding something destroys it. It’s like saying “Coffee does not exist. What we call ‘coffee’ is actually a drink made from bitter-tasting beans, ground and infused into water.”