Certain aspects of nature can be modeled extremely well with simple formulae.
Orbits are damn close to perfect ellipses.
Likewise, human perception of color luminance could be represented by a simple model where cross-human perceptual variation results in a damn close to perfect sphere.
Just like the actual orbital parameters for a given body are described by a few constants derived from observation, the actual human perceptual parameters (such as the constants in the CIE model) are likewise derived through observation.
Being close to something doesn't make it that thing. The orbits are close to perfect ellipses, but Mercury's orbits isn't a perfect ellipse – it required Einstein's modification to understand the discrepancy.
Human vision isn't even remotely in the same ballpark as "close to an ellipse". That idea is a very powerful, very persistent illusion, and as far as I'm concerned it will be productive to break it whenever possible.
Comments
Certain aspects of nature can be modeled extremely well with simple formulae.
Orbits are damn close to perfect ellipses.
Likewise, human perception of color luminance could be represented by a simple model where cross-human perceptual variation results in a damn close to perfect sphere.
Just like the actual orbital parameters for a given body are described by a few constants derived from observation, the actual human perceptual parameters (such as the constants in the CIE model) are likewise derived through observation.
Being close to something doesn't make it that thing. The orbits are close to perfect ellipses, but Mercury's orbits isn't a perfect ellipse – it required Einstein's modification to understand the discrepancy.
Human vision isn't even remotely in the same ballpark as "close to an ellipse". That idea is a very powerful, very persistent illusion, and as far as I'm concerned it will be productive to break it whenever possible.