http://friam.383.s1.nabble.com/The-yin-and-yang-of-numbers-across-cultures-tp523046p523057.html
>
> Your diagram would imply Violet lies inbetween Indigo and Blue,
> whereas traditionally it is the other way around (Roy G Biv).
>
> To be quite frank, I cannot distinguish a seperate colour between blue
> and violet - does that mean my cones are defective?
>
> Cheers
>
> On Sun, Dec 03, 2006 at 10:54:43AM -0700, Robert Howard wrote:
> > My understanding is that there are really just three primary colors: R G
> B.
> > Even though the spectrum is mathematically continuous, evolution is not.
> Our
> > eyes have three types of cones (for color) and one type of rod (for
> > intensity). It seems that because the three super-imposed distribution
> > curves yield three maximum crests and four minimum troughs: total colors
> > would be seven.
> >
> >
> >
> > That is:
> >
> >
> >
> > Violet Green Orange
> >
> >
> >
> > Indigo Blue Yellow Red
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > SEE:
http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/vision/colcon.html#c1> >
> >
> >
> > Rob Howard
> >
> >
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: friam-bounces at redfish.com [mailto:friam-bounces at redfish.com] On
> Behalf
> > Of James Steiner
> > Sent: Saturday, December 02, 2006 9:45 PM
> > To: The Friday Morning Applied Complexity Coffee Group
> > Subject: Re: [FRIAM] The yin and yang of numbers across cultures
> >
> >
> >
> > So, why was indigo worthy of inclusion, while cyan was not?
> >
> >
> >
> > ~~James
> >
> >
http://www.turtlezero.com> >
> > (JA-86)
> >
> >
> >
> > On 12/2/06, Dede Densmore <dede at backspaces.net> wrote:
> >
> > > Re Pamela's reply: Me, too! Re Robert's: When I was growing up, we
> >
> > > learned " Roy G. Biv", a name silly enough that you weren't likely to
> >
> > > forget it and that definitely included indigo.
> >
> > >
> >
> > > Dede
> >
> > >
> >
> > > On Nov 30, 2006, at 7:17 PM, J T Johnson wrote:
> >
> > >
> >
> > > > My apologies, and I seem to be pushing the evelope of original
> intent
> >
> > > > for the FRIAM list, but I find this sort of "anthropology of
> numbers"
> >
> > > > topic an interesting problem that converges on interesting questions
> >
> > > > in how we design, say, databases or UIs that are applicable
> anywhere,
> >
> > > > anytime.
> >
> > > >
> >
> > > > So for what it's worth....
> >
> > > >
> >
> > > > -tj
> >
> > > >
> >
> > > > ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> >
> > > > From: STRATE at fordham.edu < STRATE at fordham.edu>
> >
> > > > Date: Nov 30, 2006 5:55 PM
> >
> > > > Subject: [MEA] Fwd:The yin and yang of numbers across cultures
> >
> > > > To: MEA at lists.ibiblio.org
> >
> > > >
> >
> > > > >From the Chronicle of Higher Ed's Magazine and Journal Reader.
> >
> > > > Thursday, November 30, 2006
> >
> > > >
> >
> > > > A glance at the current issue of the Bulletin of Science, Technology
> &
> >
> > > > Society: The yin and yang of numbers across cultures
> >
> > > >
> >
> > > >
> >
> > > > In Japanese culture, a rainbow is considered to consist of seven
> >
> > > > colors: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and purple. A
> >
> > > > rainbow has
> >
> > > > one less color in the West, as Americans and Europeans tend not to
> >
> > > > count
> >
> > > > indigo. However, because a rainbow is actually a continuous
> spectrum,
> >
> > > > both
> >
> > > > perceptions are wrong, notes Yutaka Nishiyama, a professor at Osaka
> >
> > > > University of Economics, in Japan. He says those distinct viewpoints
> >
> > > > reflect a Japanese preference for odd numbers and Western favoritism
> >
> > > > toward
> >
> > > > even numbers.
> >
> > > > Mr. Nishiyama provides numerous other examples to suggest an
> East-West
> >
> > > > difference in the preference for odd or even numbers. According to a
> >
> > > > Japanese proverb, for example, three heads are better than two,
> >
> > > > "whereas in
> >
> > > > English, two are better than one." In a study of number-related
> words
> >
> > > > in
> >
> > > > English and Japanese, he found additional evidence. "It appears," he
> >
> > > > writes, "that the Japanese language has a cultural setting that
> favors
> >
> > > > the
> >
> > > > odd numbers 3 and 5, whereas English has a cultural setting that
> >
> > > > favors the
> >
> > > > even numbers 2, 4, and 6."
> >
> > > >
> >
> > > > The author looks at historical clues in attempting to explain why
> >
> > > > different
> >
> > > > cultures may have a preference for one form of numbers over the
> other.
> >
> > > > The
> >
> > > > ancient Greeks, he says, regarded odd numbers as good. So did the
> >
> > > > ancient
> >
> > > > Chinese. The latter utilized yin-yang thought, which is based on the
> >
> > > > idea
> >
> > > > of alternating opposites. For instance, yang is generally considered
> >
> > > > to be
> >
> > > > masculine, and yin to be feminine. He emphasizes, however, that the
> >
> > > > concept
> >
> > > > is meant to be interpreted as a system of opposites and of "infinite
> >
> > > > change," not as "a case of one being superior or inferior to the
> >
> > > > other." So
> >
> > > > a man is yang in relation to a woman, but yin in relation to his
> >
> > > > parents.
> >
> > > > Only in modern times, he says, has yang come to be understood as
> "good
> >
> > > > and
> >
> > > > superior" in relation to yin.
> >
> > > >
> >
> > > > He concludes that the ancient preference for odd numbers probably
> >
> > > > faded in
> >
> > > > the West with the arrival of modern mathematics, "as represented by
> >
> > > > Newton." As he explains it, modern mathematics values rationality,
> and
> >
> > > > "seems to have abandoned the ideas of ancient Chinese yin-yang
> thought
> >
> > > > and
> >
> > > > ancient Greek philosophy, in which odd numbers were male and even
> >
> > > > numbers
> >
> > > > female. When counting numbers, odd numbers were incomplete,
> in-between
> >
> > > > numbers, whereas even numbers were certainly more rational." Thus,
> "in
> >
> > > > contrast to the East, where odd numbers are positive and good, in
> the
> >
> > > > West,
> >
> > > > odd numbers are incomplete and superfluous."
> >
> > > >
> >
> > > > The article, "A Study of Odd- and Even-Number Cultures," is
> >
> > > > temporarily
> >
> > > > available free through Sage Publications.
> >
> > > >
> >
> > > >
http://bst.sagepub.com/cgi /content/abstract/26/6/479
> >
> > > >
> >
> > > > _______________________________________________
> >
> > > > MEA mailing list
> >
> > > > MEA at lists.ibiblio.org
> >
> > > >
http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/mea> >
> > --
> >
> >
> >
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> >
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> >
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> >
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http://www.friam.org> >
>
>
>
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> > Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College
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> --
>
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
> A/Prof Russell Standish Phone 0425 253119 (mobile)
> Mathematics
> UNSW SYDNEY 2052 hpcoder at hpcoders.com.au
> Australia
http://www.hpcoders.com.au>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>
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George T. Duncan
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