A Test: Hume's Missing Shade of Blue

2015 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 219-228 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathan Finch
Keyword(s):  
Black And White ◽  
Correct Color ◽  
Empirical Progress

This paper discusses a possible test of Hume's ‘missing shade of blue’ and whether it might be possible to make some empirical progress on the question. Towards this end seventy-two students were tested to see if they could determine the correct color ratios of missing black and white shades ranging from a consecutive gap of two out of 236 possible combinations, to a consecutive gap of ten of out of 236 possible combinations. On the most difficult test, four of the seventy-two students correctly determined a missing shade, though these same four all claimed to have above-average experience with art.

scholarly journals A Simple, Reliable, and Inexpensive Solution for Contact Color Measurement in Small Plant Samples

Sensors ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (8) ◽  
pp. 2348
Author(s):  
Patricia Sanmartín ◽  
Michela Gambino ◽  
Elsa Fuentes ◽  
Miguel Serrano
Keyword(s):  
Sample Surface ◽  
Small Samples ◽  
Color Measurement ◽  
Small Plant ◽  
Black And White ◽  
Ecological Information ◽  
Measuring Devices ◽  
Correct Color ◽  
The Family ◽  
Sound Measurement

Correct color measurement by contact-type color measuring devices requires that the sample surface fully covers the head of the device, so their use on small samples remains a challenge. Here, we propose to use cardboard adaptors on the two aperture masks (3 and 8 mm diameter measuring area) of a broadly used portable spectrophotometer. Adaptors in black and white to reduce the measuring area by 50% and 70% were applied in this study. Representatives of the family Campanulaceae have been used to test the methodology, given the occurrence of small leaves. Our results show that, following colorimetric criteria, the only setting providing indistinguishable colors according to the perception of the human eye is the use of a 50%-reducing adaptor on the 3-mm aperture. In addition, statistical analysis suggests the use of the white adaptor. Our contribution offers a sound measurement technique to gather ecological information from the color of leaves, petals, and other small samples.

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