AIMS To investigate whether there is an association between congenital colour vision defects (CVD) and occupational choice and employment history, in order to inform the debate about the value of universal childhood screening for these disorders. METHODS Participants were 6422 males and 6112 females from the 1958 British birth cohort, followed from birth to 33 years, whose colour vision was a...

Computational models of colour vision assume that the biological function of colour vision is to detect surface reflectance. Some philosophers invoke these models as a basis for 'externalism' about perceptual content (content is distal) and 'objectivism' about colour (colour is surface reflectance). In an earlier article (Thompson et al. 1992), I criticized the 'computational objectivist' posit...

Unlike most eutherian mammals, which have dichromatic (two-colour) vision, most platyrrhine primate species have polymorphic colour vision. This unique characteristic is enabled via multiple alleles for a midto long-wavelength-sensitive (M/LWS), single-locus opsin gene on the X chromosome. In combination with the autosomal opsin common to most vertebrates, this arrangement provides heterozygous...

Congenital colour vision anomalies are common, with red/green anomaly affecting 8-10% of males. Acquired loss of colour perception can be a sensitive indicator of macular and optic nerve disease. It is vital to understand how colour vision tests can be used effectively to diagnose the type of colour anomaly. This article reviews the different tests available and the protocols for their appropri...