FMF - Friends of Minerals Forum, discussion and message board

[Jordi Fabre]

About the theory #1, I don't mean that colorblind people have a kind of "super-powers", what I mean is different. I mean that they perceive the minerals in a different way than the non-colorblind and that way, for some reason, it seems to me to be very attractive, so it could explain the number of colorblind collecting minerals.

Beleive me, is a number of they. I'm still expecting if they (some are members of FMF) decide to communicate it here! ;-)

Jordi

[Tracy]

Jordi, I still have difficulties with theory #1. Yes it's true that colorblind perceive minerals differently than non-coloblind. They get exposed to MANY aspects of life in a different manner. But the likelihood of a colorblind individual being exposed to minerals as a pursuit of interest can't be much different from the likelihood of a non-colorblind individual. Apart from which, colorblind people are (I asssume) no more likely to become hobbyists or collectors than non-colorblind, likewise to have an interest in the natural sciences. Colorblind people can get engaged by black/white photography or sketching (I believe they would excel at both of these), sculpture, woodworking, coin or stamp collecting (?),, sports and/or sports memorabilia, etc etc. There are plenty of pursuits out there that do not rely heavily on color discrimination. And, difficulty discriminating between colors can be a turn-off to some people who might otherwise collect minerals - it all depends on their upbringing, natural tendencies, personal interests, and exposure throughout life.

What makes minerals colllecting different from the other things that I listed is that it is very multi-faceted, and people are drawn to it for a wide variety of reasons. But I'm more inclined to believe that if the number of colorblind people collecting minerals is greater than the global average, it is most likely coincidence. Sorry....

- Tracy

[James Catmur]

I guess we would have to do a survey to find out! I have to admit that no one I know has ever admitted to me that they are color blind, so my evidence is that there are few color blind mineral collectors, but maybe I am wrong

James

[lluis]

Hi, Aymeric

Well, if the soldier told you that, then, my metamerism is just gone.... :-)
It is completely off-topic, but metamerism is a trouble today. See, part of garments are not all dyed in same mills, If the parts show metamerism, when you try to sell them, you have a patchwork or even worse, in the street, they look like a patchwork.....

Anyway, is a very specific specilized toruble in textile mainly.....
Those crazy chemists :-) !

With best wishes

Lluís

[lluis]

Hi, Tracy

Well, I think that color blind would place shapes in front of colour. So what Alfredo, James and Jordi said, makes for me a lot of sense. Being the data of Alfredo absolute, then it adds weight to that opinion..

On the other side, I would not recommend any colorblind to collect stamps...unless he get a completely friendly dealer. In old stamps, shades are very important to know which issue it is, at least in the countries I collect (and sometimes, you should have the two stamps to see the difference; and I am trained to see those minute differences..... ARRRRGGGHHHHHH!)

With best wishes from desperate fellow dealing with some tax swiss stamps....

Lluís

[lluis]

Hi, James

I usually do not say that I am stereoscopically blind.
I only say to the most inner circle.

Not an advantage, so, why to tell that :-)

With best wishes

Lluís

P.D.: by the way, very impressive the collection of ephemera your ancestor build!
Hope to visit London at take a look! I really love those documents!

[Jordi Fabre]

[Tracy]

Hi Lluis -

It seems you (and others?) are missing my point. I have already said that I thought colorblind people might make good crystallographers, so I'm not disagreeing with this part of the discussion. But, I still don't think that theory #1 (which is essentially that colorblind people are more likely to become mineral collectors because they can appreciate forms in this hobby - please correct me if I got it wrong) makes sense. I actually hesitated on whether or not to include stamps in my list., and after II submitted it I realized I should have chosen antiques instead. But these were just examples to support my argument. And Alfredo's numbers are, in my opinion, incomplete - if someone can prove that there is a higher percentage of colorblind (underlined) Czechs who are mineral collectors than anywhere else in the world, I would reconsider.

I can't explain my position any better, and not wishing to draw things out further, I withdraw it. In a friendly way, of course. :-)

- Tracy

[lluis]

Hi, Tracy

Thanks a lot fot the message.
Of course, what I said was only my opinion, that is just that...
I could be very well wrong.

But it is an intersting for me field, and a way to learn a little more.
Before that, I never though in collectors that were colorblind.

With best wishes

Lluís

[James Catmur]

Tracy

I can see your point on #1 and I agree with you. That said I would prefer to collect minerals to collecting stamps, so maybe color blind people do tend to gravitate to certain types of collecting. We also collect (inexpensive) art but I leave the color decisions on that to my wife as she can see the colors - I then just say if I like it or not (since we only buy things we both like).

Lluis

I have also recently discovered that I also suffer from exophoria - i.e. I see double as my eyes do not look at the same point. As a result my clever old brain has decided to ignore the image from my left eye. I did tests this week that show that the left eye works correctly but I am ignoring it. So while I can see stereoscopically I am doing so less than I used to. So what the sum of color blind and using a single eye will do I have no idea, but I will keep collecting minerals.

James

[keith]

My understanding is that about 15% of all men are partially colour blind and that around 5-10% are actually totally colourblind.

My son is colour blind and he always just said that he saw things ina different light.

I was always upset that he couldn't see the full range of colours such as in a fireworks display or as we know - beautiful minerals.

But those that are colourblind do not know any different. SO I presume they still collect what they like.

Perhaps it explains why Ferraris are nearly always red cos red appears fairly bright to a colourblind person !! who knows?

Cheers