Blind woman recognizes color by touch

[buttmunch]

A blind woman has baffled scientists after proving on TV that she can distinguish between colours by touch.

Gabriele Simon, 48, from Wallenhorst in Germany, revealed her ability in her country's most popular TV show Wetten dass.

She used her fingertips to recognise the different colours of various t-shirts and blouses while blindfolded.

She said: "I took me 20 years to master this skill. It is a combination of pure learning and concentration."

Ms Simon added: "This ability really gives me more independence, as I don't need to ask my mother about what to wear anymore."

[SVZ]

Wow! I really hope they figure this out.

There's another German girl who can diagnose diseases by touch.

[muchlove]

How can "learning and concentration" help her see/touch colors? Weird. Maybe different dyes have different textures?

[simplekindoflovely]

It's just like Laura Dern in 'Mask'! Creepy....

[DisruptiveHair]

That's impossible; I bet she can see at least a little bit, or someone is using some kind of code to relay the color to her.

[child_of_dark]

i bet its a trick. scientists are fooled easily.

[Bliss]

If she demonstrated her "ability" on TV... I'm skeptical.

[pookiebear]

They should have given her a tie-dyed t-shirt and watch her go crazy.

[olivia720]

maybe she's just psychic?

[Allie]

Originally Posted by simplekindoflovely

It's just like Laura Dern in 'Mask'! Creepy....

[sputnik]

Originally Posted by pookiebear

They should have given her a tie-dyed t-shirt and watch her go crazy.

[Honey]

^ laughing at the same comment

This story is nearly three years old, wonder if she can still do it

[sputnik]

lol i was about to ask buttmunch if she was in sweden again. then i saw the date posted. holy necro.

[twitchy]

PLEASE DEFINE “BLIND”

A blind woman, we’re told by the news services, has “baffled” scientists after “proving” on TV that she can distinguish between colors by touch. Now, this is obviously prime material for the JREF million-dollar prize, wouldn’t you think? Gabriele Simon, 48, from Wallenhorst, Germany, is said to have demonstrated her ability on her country's most popular TV show, “Wetten Dass.” Rough translation: “I’ll Bet’cha.”

Using only her fingertips, the audience was told, Gabrielle is able to recognize the different colors of various t-shirts and blouses. Wow!

Said she:
It took me twenty years to master this skill. It is a combination of pure learning and concentration… This ability really gives me more independence, as I don't need to ask my mother about what to wear anymore.

What really got my attention about this claim, is that she was “tested” while blindfolded! Duh? Why would a blind person need to be blindfolded? Gee, you don’t suppose that the word “blind” needs more definition, do you? As I often do, I turned to Wikipedia [wikipedia.org] to find out more. In this USA, I found, the expression “legally blind” means visually impaired to a certain defined degree.

Says Wikipedia:
Approximately ten percent of those deemed legally blind, by any measure, are fully sightless. The rest have some vision, from light perception alone to relatively good acuity. Those who are not legally blind, but nonetheless have serious visual impairments, possess “low vision.”

Perhaps the same definitions apply in Germany, as well? This woman may well be “legally blind,” but still be quite capable of seeing colors. Could the producers of this prestigious German TV show have been so careless – or purposefully accepting, for show ratings! – that they allowed this farce to be broadcast as a genuine example of a magical ability? I refer you to the illustration here, for consideration. On the left is a frame taken from the Wetten Dass TV show, on the right is one taken from another such performance, at Commentary, February 22, 2002 — Conclusion of the Russian Test, John's Back!, Dilbert Visits, Prayer Power, End of the World (yawn), The Skeptical Dictionary, Accidents on the Zodiac, Alien Abduction?, Sagan & Whiteside — They're Baaaack!, . I leave my readers to draw appropriate conclusions….

A week ago, the “Wetten Dass” prducers were sent this message from our office:
The James Randi Educational Foundation offers our million-dollar prize to Gabriele Simon, the woman from Wallenhorst who claims she can see colors with her fingertips. The test for the prize would take less than 30 minutes, and could be done by our representatives in Germany, GWUP, the Gesellschaft zur wissenschaftlichen Untersuchung von Parawissenschaften e.V.

We refer you to James Randi Educational Foundation for information on the prize offer.

Since then, a Wetten Dass representative named Nicole Rupp has informed me that the offer has been forwarded to Frau Simon. We await her – or the TV producers’ – eager acceptance of the challenge.
(Yawn)
James Randi's Swift - November 4, 2005



She seems not to have taken them up on their offer.

[sparkly]

Has anyone ever taken the James Randi test?