Reflection No. 2: The Use of Color Perception for Survival Needs in Modern-day Society

Color perception has evolved in human beings. Color perception has changed as our survival needs have changed. Instead of using color for determining if a dangerous animal is camouflaging itself to lure us into a trap or if food looks rotten, our color perception has evolved to help keep us safe on the roads when driving a car. For example, when I drive, I need to see the color of the cars driving by in my blind spot after I look in my side mirror and take that quick glance to either my left or right depending on which side mirror I am using.

Because I use my peripheral vision in this instance, the color of a moving object appearing will catch my attention in comparison to the blurriness of the backdrop. When it does, then I can focus on that object quickly and realize it is a car and remind myself not to change lanes, yet. Otherwise, I will get into a wreck and either, accidentally, hurt or kill myself. Now, this becomes challenging when checking for gray, silver, dark blue, and black cars in the evening and at night.

In the evening and at night, the problem of univariance occurs where the lack of lightmakes it difficult to utilize my color perception, effectively. This is where my rods are active andmy cones, used to detect color when exposed to light, are inactive. Since I and everybody elseonly have one type of rod, the only color we see is mostly blackness even though there is still alittle bit of light to help us make out shapes and objects, hence, street, city, and car lights and thenight sky being helpful guides of light in the dark. If we had a second set of rods, then maybe wecould see something else besides blackness with the little light received at night. This is also whywe, typically, have three cones and not one. There is just not enough light to activate those cones for color perception and oversaturate the rods to make the rods inactive.