Is Colorblindness a Barrier to Pursuing a Major in Physics?

[stevxstev]

colorblind and physicist

im colorblind but i have a plan go to a major in physics . its that a problem ? if i take a physics major ? and i want take a minor particle physics / quantum / nuclear physics / a material physics ? thanks

 

[maajdl]

Absolutely not.
Quantum physics is about the nanoscopic world, where there is nothing like color.
Using colors in course material is a luxury that is not necessary.

 

[stevxstev]

thanks for the answer :)

 

[stevxstev]

i want ask again like a nuclear physics its not a problem ?

 

[stevxstev]

what subject I should not take? like physics? or chemistry? engineer? I've got a plan I want to get physical but still afraid to go into this field because I am partial - color blind .

 

[symbolipoint]

Ask currently-employed engineers! If anyone would know about any disadvantages of colorblindness in engineering or physical sciences, working-engineers should know. Also, ask faculty members of physics and engineering departments of colleges.

 

[stevxstev]

do you think this problem is color blind? if working in the field of physics?

 

[interhacker]

My dad's cousin is color blind and he's a computer scientist. My dad is color blind and he's a surgeon. I think the only field where being color blind is a problem is the navy.

 

[Delong]

My dad's cousin is color blind and he's a computer scientist. My dad is color blind and he's a surgeon. I think the only field where being color blind is a problem is the navy.

uh what about art?

 

[micromass]

uh what about art?

The above painting was made by a person who was born blind and who has never been able to see.

http://www.odditycentral.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/Esref-Armagan-painting.jpg

But ok, let's not derail the thread any further.

This link is about color blind Electrical Engineers: http://www.brighthubengineering.com...es-for-electricians-and-electrical-engineers/

 

[stevxstev]

so its not a problem right ?

 

[interhacker]

so its not a problem right ?

Of course not, don't let something like this get in the way of your dreams and aspirations. Good luck.

 

[AlephZero]

so its not a problem right ?

Of course not, don't let something like this get in the way of your dreams and aspirations. Good luck.

Read the link in Microsoft's post.

"Color blind" is a generic term for a wide spectrum of conditions. At one end of the scale people can probably distinguish most colors "in real life" except that they perceive them differently from the majority. At the other end, they have no perception of "color" at all, only of brightness.

Some occupations and industries require color blindness tests for safety reasons. This may not be directly connected to the "science" aspect of the job, but simply because hazardous materials are indicated by color codes. For example if you can't tell the red/green color difference between flammable and inflammable gas cylinders and pipelines in your working environment, you are a safety hazard not only to yourself but to everybody else. http://www.boconline.co.uk/en/sheq/...nder-colours/industrial-cylinder-colours.html

In some industries hand tools etc are also color coded, to ensure similar looking tools are not mixed up and used in the wrong situation, where they could cause damage.

Of course you should have aspirations, but make sure they are realistic.

 

[D H]

For example if you can't tell the red/green color difference between flammable and inflammable gas cylinders and pipelines in your working environment, you are a safety hazard not only to yourself but to everybody else.

I think you meant non-flammable rather than inflammable. Flammable and inflammable mean the exact same thing: Easily ignited. Sometimes in- as a prefix means "not" (e.g., infinite, inconsiderate) but other times (e.g., inflammable, invaluable), it means almost the opposite of "not". One could say that the in- prefix is rather inconveniently inconsistent with regard to meaning.

 

[stevxstev]

I think the physics is not very use gas, industrial gas and very rarely need physicists, because I wanted a little more to the theoretical or practical. what if I majored in math problem?

 

[micromass]

I think the physics is not very use gas, industrial gas and very rarely need physicists, because I wanted a little more to the theoretical or practical. what if I majored in math problem?

Math is no problem.

 

[stevxstev]

physics ? I am so love physics really

 

[AlephZero]

I think you meant non-flammable rather than inflammable.

True.

 

[symbolipoint]

stevxstev,

micromass gave reference to an article about the use of color coding used in some engineering work. Some occupations require attention to colors and some do not. I suggested talking directly to currently-working engineers ( and now I suggest maybe other types of employed technology and scientific people).

An occupation which uses color coding can be expected not to use certain color-blind people. An occupation whose analyses or products are color-dependant would also be a bad fit for certain or most color-blind people. Someone wanting to perform color matching work for paints, pigments, or dyestuffs needs to be color-vision capable, not color-blind. A microbiology technician or scientist needs to be able to use color for cell staining. A chemist might need to be able to see a clear color change difference for an analytical procedure, and if colorblindness makes that color change or difference seem unclear, then the color-blind chemist cannot do this work satisfactorily. On the other hand, someone doing spectrophotometric work might be fine, since he is mainly interested in measuring absorbance or transmission over either a range of wavelengths or at specific wavelengths; and does not need to use color vision. The instrument will give the needed information.

 

[stevxstev]

the answer its ? cannot ? in physics ?

 

[gfd43tg]

I can share a short story. I had a chemistry professor that is colorblind. He told us a story that when he was going into graduate school (in India), they even made the prospective graduate students take a physical exam. He failed the physical exam because of his colorblindness. The committee almost didn't let him into the graduate program for chemistry (colors can matter in chemistry). They eventually did, however. The main problem he has is using the spectrophotometer, he just needs to know the wavelengths of the colors.

 

[stevxstev]

what is spectrophotometer ? so its not a problem ?

 

[gfd43tg]

Well, he got through the program obviously and received his PhD. So, yes it has been done. It's not optimal, but doable. It's probably a minor setback at best, since most PhD programs don't make their students take a physical examination I suppose.