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From: eager@amd70.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.followup
Subject: Re: Are you seeing pink walls?
Message-ID: <4209@amd70.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 2-Jan-84 20:54:04 EST
Article-I.D.: amd70.4209
Posted: Mon Jan  2 20:54:04 1984
Date-Received: Wed, 4-Jan-84 02:42:43 EST
References: <153@cal-unix>.UUCP>
Organization: AMD, Santa Clara, CA
Lines: 14

The eye adapts to the predominant color, trying to adjust to a neutral color
balance.  This is why colors seem constant when seen under daylight (at 6000
degrees Kelvin), tungsten light (2500 degrees) or candle (1000 degrees).  That
the reflected light is not the same color can be seen when you take a picture 
indoors with film balanced for daylight, or when the light in a room is a 
mixture of daylight and tungsten light.

When you over-load the eyes with one color, it over-compensates with the 
opposite color.  When you look away, the compensation remains for a time.  If
you look at a sheet of red paper for 30 seconds, and then look at something 
white, you will get an image of the complement, green.  Similarly, with blue
and yellow.  If you look at a pattern of green squares separated by white 
borders, after a short time the borders will tend to look pink, especially
at the corners.