IAP 2025 Course

The Phenomenon of Color

What is color ? Is it a physical quantity ? Is it an experience ? Do animals perceive color ?

The phenomenon of Color  is proposed as a series of four lectures exploring the phenomenon of color, and its significance in biological and machine vision. Each session will be about 1 hour, consisting of a 30-40 minute lecture, followed by a discussion. Below, you will find the course outline and the logistical details.

Course Outline

Lecture 1. Color as substance
The material and anatomical origins of color

We will look at a simple, physics-based model of how light interacts with surfaces and retinal photo-pigments to produce “color”. We will explore the concept of metameric surfaces, estimate the dimensionality of the color experience, and discuss the idea of opponent signaling.

Lecture 2. Color as quale
The perceptual and cognitive basis of color

We will examine color illusions and illustrate how sensing, on its own, does not explain perception. We will discuss higher-order color experiences such as memory colors and color constancy. Finally, we will explore the interaction between language and color.

Lecture 3. Color as an emergent trait
The evolutionary and behavioral history of color

In this session we will address the question: why color ? We will discuss the existence of color quasi-invariants, and how they may relate to our evolutionary history. We will explore the diversity in color sensing across species, and discuss color as a key evolutionary trait that has shaped how we experience and act in the world.

Lecture 4. Color and technology
The role of colour in engineering and informatics

Color introduces multiple constraints on human information sensing and processing. These constraints have been used to device human-optimised strategies for applications such as data storage, image processing, and display technologies. We will discuss examples that demonstrate how color helps us design efficient, human technology.

Course Details

Pre-requisites
None. However, basic notions of optics, linear algebra, evolutionary theory, programming, and signal processing will be helpful in getting the most out of the seminars.

Instructor
Tushar Chauhan

Date
10, 17, 24, and 31 January, 2025 (Fridays)

Time
12.00-13.00 (~13.15, depending on the discussions)

Venue
Building 46, Room 4300

Enrollment
EMAIL instructor at tchauhan AT mit DOT edu

Attendance Requirement
Participants are encouraged to attend all sessions