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"It wasn't until I was past forty that it bacame clear that I was going to be quote, successful, unquote."
- Isaac Asimov

Color Generator  
  A variable spectrum light source  

Problems with metamerism provide clues during an investigation in this quote.

'...There's been no mistake; I took great pains.' Gersen studied the tiles. '...what color light will bring the tiles to the same color as the sketch?'

...Mankinello put the tiles under a color generator. 'Presumably you're interested in standard incandesence?'

'Standard star-light. I presume that's close to the same thing.'

'Somewhat different due to the stellar atmospheres. But I can easily code for the stellar progression. Let's start with about 4,000 degrees.' He turned a wheel, flicked a switch, checked with a comparator. 'Close' He turned the wheel. 'There it is. 4,350 degrees.' He glanced through a port. 'See for yourself.'

Gersen peered through the opening. The tiles were now identical to the colors of the sketch. 'Color temperature, 4,350 degrees: Class K?'

'I'll tell you exactly.' Mankinello consulted a reference. 'Class G8.'

Technovelgy from The Killing Machine, by Jack Vance.
Published by Fantastic Fiction (?) in 1964
Additional resources -

The letters refer to stellar spectral types - O B A F G K M R N S.

Thanks to R. Probert for contributing this item.

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Additional resources:
  More Ideas and Technology from The Killing Machine
  More Ideas and Technology by Jack Vance
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  Tech news articles related to works by Jack Vance

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