Today’s question:
Are there an infinite number of colors?
Sigh.
I am trying very hard to imagine what in the world would possess you to wonder about such a thing and what in the world difference it would make to you.
As well, mine is not to wonder why. Mine is but to try to scrounge up an answer and collect my meager paycheck and not think too much.
It all sort of depends on what exactly you mean by “infinite.”
It has been determined by people who determine such things that there are somewhere around 18 decillion varieties of colors available for your viewing enjoyment.
That’s an 18 followed by 33 zeros. Is that infinity? What if there were 18 decllion and 1? Or is 18 decillion close enough to qualify as infinity?
So how do we know there are 18 decillion colors?
First of all, scientists have determined that in the lab we can see about 1,000 levels of dark-light and about 100 levels each of red-green and yellow-blue. So that’s about 10 million colors right there.
And then you have to allow for other matters. Well, you don’t haveto, but do you want to carry this through to the end or not?
OK, now we see light in three ways — on surfaces, as light sources and in volumes. And 10 million different shades of light affect those 10 million colors. And so do 10 million surrounding colors. Plus, every individual sees colors differently.
All of which involves a lot of brain-hurting math that adds up to 18 decillion, which if it isn’t quite infinity is pretty darn close.
