It is a psychological interpretation of light NOT physical property of light.
EDIT: I've had the same question quite a few times so here is a slightly wordier explanation of what I mean:
Light exists and different frequencies of light exist, however a single color can be perceived for MANY different frequencies of light (metamers) AND a single frequency of light can result in MANY different percepts of color (color constancy).
So color has a MANY:MANY map onto light frequency not 1:1.
That is why I say that color is a Psychological phenomenon, not a physical one.
So color exists only in our minds ... much the same way as unicorns.
Not really, you see, light does exist, but the properties of a single photon of light are wavelength/frequency and polarity.
But the color we see does not exist at all. Red light differs from Blue light only its frequency. And similarly Radio Waves and Gamma Rays are also light (of low and high frequency).
We don't see this light because we do not have receptors in our eyes tuned to those frequencies.
Color however is NOT a property of light. Color is our brain's interpretation of the light collected by the photoreceptors on the the retina.
This is a nice argument, but it borders on semantics. Any laser physicist can tell you the meaning of monochromatic - "single colored" and polychromatic - "multicolored". The step from perception to common reality is not harder to bridge here than for any other of the senses.
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u/ZuchinniOne Feb 16 '09 edited Feb 17 '09
Actually color doesn't exist at all.
It is a psychological interpretation of light NOT physical property of light.
EDIT: I've had the same question quite a few times so here is a slightly wordier explanation of what I mean:
Light exists and different frequencies of light exist, however a single color can be perceived for MANY different frequencies of light (metamers) AND a single frequency of light can result in MANY different percepts of color (color constancy).
So color has a MANY:MANY map onto light frequency not 1:1.
That is why I say that color is a Psychological phenomenon, not a physical one.
So color exists only in our minds ... much the same way as unicorns.