Fluorescent Fridays: Colournamers Linking Vision and Speech

How do we communicate about colour across languages and viewing conditions? Our research team at Northeastern University London investigates how speakers of different languages carve up colour space in context. In this Fluorescent Friday event, you will hear from three Colournamers: Akvile will demonstrate Colour Spinner, an interactive tool for exploring colour naming across six languages; Rafique will reveal why current AI systems struggle with colour naming despite their linguistic sophistication; and Beata will show how the colours around us interact and shift the colours we perceive and name.

The information below is edited for brevity. The complete abstracts and bios for all talks are available in this PDF.

Presenters (left to right):

Introduction

Title: Colour Spinner: An Interactive Tool for Multilingual Colour Communication

Rafique Ahmed, PhD Student

Title: Colour understanding in AI models

Beata Wozniak, Postdoctoral researcher

Title: Colour naming in context

FLUORESCENT FRIDAYS is a platform for university students from all disciplines to network with color professionals and fellow students, and to explore cutting-edge information about color’s role in our lives and applications in the world. 

Global Student Chapter: The long range goal is to build a global student chapter that positions color as a multidimensional STEAM model (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Math), sharing up-to-date color research by scientists, artists, designers, industry professionals, and university students.21st century color communication requires a commitment to building bridges for sharing resources, cultivating mentors, and creating new opportunities. With up-to-date information and useful tools, students become the next generation of leaders in ever-evolving color related disciplines.