Physics of color

Color constancy algorithms can be derived by looking at the underlying physics of color image formation. An interesting question is whether color constancy algorithms are an acquired capability of the visual system, i.e. if they are learnt, or whether these algorithms are hardwired, i.e. evolved. 

W. B. Fowler, The Physics of Color Centers, Academic Press, New York, 1968. 

F. Liity Fa-Centers in Alkali Halide Crystals . In Physics of Color Centers, ed. by W.B. Fowler (Academic, New York 1968)... 

Anyone who has shared the company of three-year old children for an afternoon will recognize the conversation. Everything you say is challenged immediately with their favorite word— why Newly arrived in the world and fascinated by aU they see, three-year olds want to know the why of everything. They live in a world of mystery, wonder, and possibility— where magic is real and reality is magic. As we explore the discovery of the physics of color origin and perception, put yourself in the place of the three-year old who always wants to know why. Or put yourself in the place of the discoverers themselves who must have been filled with awe at what they learned and communicated to the world for the first time. 

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