Periodic Table: The mathematics of perceiving color differences

Data visualizations and taking down Schrödinger

November 2, 2023

Roxana Bujack
Roxana Bujack Roxana Bujack

At this month’s Periodic Table program, Roxana Bujack discusses the Lab’s work to develop algorithms to improve the color maps used in data visualizations, making them easy to understand and interpret. These visualizations help scientists and researchers make sense of vast amounts of data that might otherwise obscure their findings.  

She’ll also discuss her recent research determining an accurate mathematical model of color perception—and how her team recently proved that Erwin Schrödinger’s theory – yes, that Schrödinger, of quantum cat fame – around the subject is wrong.

The Periodic Table is the Bradbury Science Museum’s casual, ask-me-anything program held at projectY cowork. Gather with other science enthusiasts and talk with a special guest Labbie about their unique work. The Periodic Table is always free.

Note about upcoming program dates: November through February the Periodic Table will occur on the second Monday of the month.

Monday, Nov. 13
5:30-7 p.m.
projectY cowork
150 Central Park Square

About the speaker: Roxana Bujack is a staff scientist in the Data Science at Scale Team at Los Alamos National Laboratory and a lecturer at Leipzig University. She studied mathematics and computer science and received her PhD in image and signal processing at Leipzig University.

Previously, she worked as a postdoctoral researcher at Institute of Data Analysis and Visualization at the University of California, Davis and at the Computer Graphics and Human Computer Interaction group at the Technical University Kaiserslautern. Bujack’s research interests include visualization, pattern detection, vector fields, data science, high-performance computing, Lagrangian flow representations, moment invariants and color theory.