The Colorblindness Simulation Image Filter Is Kind of Depressing

After writing We All See, Smell, Hear, Taste, and Feel the World Differently, I have been running different exercises and simulations in my life to add to my knowledge of other people’s perspectives; how they go through the world and how those input filters influence cognition. One of the tools has been image filters to see websites and photographs as approximately 1 out of every 12.5 white men sees them.

It’s just too depressing. The post I put up a few seconds ago about the Elder Scrolls Skyrim pickaxes and flowers? The images on the left are how normal eyesight sees the flowers. The images on the right are filtered through a lens that simulates Deuteranope colorblindness, which is a form of red/green color deficit or colorblindness. To a colorblind person, they should appear nearly identical depending upon the severity of the deficit in their personal genetics.

Colorblind Simulation Images 1

Colorblind Simulation Images 2

Here I am, debating which shades of flowers, plants, and furniture cushions to introduce and cross-referencing them with psychology studies that show how various colors influence mood, and a lot of people on this planet can’t even see the difference. I look at the images on the left – the vibrancy, the bursts of oranges, pinks, purples, and reds, and to think that someone with color deficit color blindness has never seen – not even once - these colors? They have no frame of reference; no understanding of what the rest of us are seeing. It just sucks.

Maybe it makes me upset for them because I’m hypersensitive to sensory inputs such as colors, scents, tactile exposures (e.g., my passion for certain shirting fabrics) so to be deprived of something that brings me so much joy is unthinkable.

Couldn’t we fix this with stem cells? If the problem isn’t in the brain, but rather in the sensory input mechanism (in this case, the retina), couldn’t we create eyes with fully functioning color sensors to cure colorblindness? Shouldn’t we be working on this? As far as disabilities go, it would suck big time but then you get into the paradox that you don’t know any differently, so would you not care because you have no idea the wonder you are missing?

As everyone has seen the images and the stark difference between them, an informal poll started around the office that had everyone evenly split between whether they would rather be born without one of their hands or be born with colorblindness. No one has answered quickly, but deliberated about it for some time then declared their preference. The deciding factor seems to be whether you were aware of the colors you were missing or had never known any better …

Filed Under: Biology

Crabhooves

I don’t see this as a big problem – you can’t miss what you’ve never had. Do you walk around all day craving heroin and thinking about how dull and lifeless life is without it? No, I don’t think you do – considering you’ve never tried it. But a heroin addict feels that way and his/her life would probably feel empty without it – while in the same situation someone who’d never tried heroin would be perfectly content.
- Joshua Kennon
  
  Well said; great analogy.
  - Biscuit68_
    
    Actually, you can imagine what you’re missing.. I’m a graphic design student with red/green colorblindness and I always tend to make my colors way too vibrant for people with normal vision. When I see these pictures and read the descriptions it’s depressing that I can’t see truly vibrant colors all the time and now realize that everything I’m seeing looks grey and dead
    - http://www.joshuakennon.com/ Joshua Kennon
      
      This … makes me sad. I’m sorry. Someday, science will fix it. Hopefully, in our lifetime!
Martel

Funny you bring up gene therapy for colorblind people. My girlfriend is colorblind, really enjoys art, and somewhat feels like she’s missing out due to her condition. Out of general curiosity I did a little research. Some folks at the University of Washington have successfully induced full spectrum vision in naturally red/green colorblind monkeys through gene therapy. Essentially they took a virus, modified it to carry particular genes for red/green vision, and injected it into the eyes of the monkeys. Some of the cones within their eyes changed into the type of cone needed for red/green sight. It took a while for their brains to account for the new sensory input, but full spectrum vision was verified through simple picture tests. The monkeys seemed to suffer no side effects to boot (I think this was done in 2009).
- Joshua Kennon
  
  HOW COOL IS THAT!? Thanks for sharing; I’ll have to read more about it!
Evergreen

My husband is color-blind and I’m very color-oriented; I frequently refer to see him as “disabled” as it does seem very sad to me all the things he can’t see. One interesting thing though, people with this type of color-blindness are actually better at seeing through camouflage (which is probably why it exists/is so prevalent).
- Joshua Kennon
  
  That is an excellent point. I imagine it is an evolutionary adaptation.
Spingus

Eventually there likely will be a treatment for colorblindness and other so-called deficiencies. Mentioning stem cells strikes near to my own heart, and career.

Stem cells, embryonic, induced and otherwise have a lot of potential. At this point it is in fact potential and not pragmatic reality. Keep in mind we do not have FDA approved therapies using stem cells, with the exception of some recently approved cord blood applications. There is a LOT of testing going on and most of the legitimate news of treatments we read about is in that vein.

At the risk of sounding elitist, there are other things we have to address ahead of colorblindness: diabetes, ALS, spinal cord injuries, and of course degenerative diseases of the eye to name only a few of the debilitating conditions on which we’re attempting to sic stem cells.

It’s a slow process. We’ve been able to culture stem cells for nearly 15 years but we’re still a long way from your doc sending you to the pharmacy or clinic to take care of that pesky diabetes issue. I say this even though we now generate material that can regulate glucose in animal models –there are lots of things to do before the FDA will give a stamp of approval for both safety and efficacy.

I’m not saying this to be gloomy, quite the opposite. I am laying out that this is a complex series of challenges, and that we’re working on it, hard.

I do take issue with Crabhooves analogy. I’ll substitute my own: You can miss what you don’t have. Children born without the physical capacity to ever walk can certainly lead lives of great joy and satisfaction. However, I suspect that given the opportunity, at least some people in that condition would take legs and to learn to walk if only to experience what others talk about. I fully believe that we should try and give them that opportunity because we have a potential means to do so.

TL;DR Yay stem cells, boo dengenerative disease and functional deficiencies. Yay science and medical research.
- Joshua Kennon
  
  Best TL;DR ever. I vote for “yah” and “boo” systems in the future.