J
Statement
- Thread starter Robbo
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This poses quite an interesting question : Is the total absence of Electromagnetic radiation (light) the same as black?
The colour black is perceived when all wavelengths of the visible light are being absorbed by an object, hence the colour we know as black, but is this the same as when we look at something (presumably a vacuum) that has a total absence of anything including all wavelengths of EMR?
You must remember, to look at something infers the reflection of light being present in some way and so we are now being nudged toward a philosophical problem where the question now arises, can we look at nothing?
What would you see if we did?
The answer seems to be, we would see nothing, but is nothing the same as black?
Have fun buckos !
thats Geordie no?Yo dudes! did you all get to mutch rean on your head!! focking hell!
According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the word "black" when used in this sense is defined as the following:
• adjective of the very darkest colour owing to the absence of or complete absorption of light.
Nothing is defined as follows:
• pronoun 1 not anything. 2 something of no importance or concern. 3 nought.
One could argue that black is a form of nothing, and if if one were talking about vacuums, then one would assume that there is nothing within the defined space, including a lack of light, therefore a vacuum can be conceived as black.
Surely a vacuum can contain light though? Space is a vacuum and all our light comes through space from the sun.
Carlos..
Carlos..
Well done Webby, within the strict definitions of a dictionary, you are quite right in your conclusions but I would ask you to consider the following :- You used the word 'conceived' and within the context you were using it, everything falls nicely into place but if you replace that word with 'perceived', as in a subjective rather than objective usage, then how does this affect (if in fact it does) what we can now conclude?