Have you ever stared at an image and noticed that the colors seem to change? This happens because the photoreceptors in your eyes get tired after looking at something for a while. When you stare at an image for five seconds and then look away, you might see the colors switch. For example, green birds might appear red, and a red background might look green. This is due to how our eyes work and is similar to how pollinating insects see the world.
Seeing color is a mix of science and sensation. Our eyes have evolved over millions of years to detect light wavelengths between 380 and 700 nanometers. Anything longer, like radio waves, or shorter, like UV rays, is invisible to us. These wavelengths can be harmful, like UV rays that can damage cells and cause cancer.
Our eyes perceive different colors based on these wavelengths. For instance, wavelengths under 450 nanometers appear violet, while those over 625 nanometers look red. Objects don’t have color themselves; they reflect certain wavelengths that our eyes and brain interpret as color. For example, a teal seafoam color reflects teal wavelengths, which our brain sees as that color.
When you look at something like a goldenrod flower, it absorbs all light except for wavelengths between 590 and 625 nanometers, which we see as gold. This light enters your eye, passes through the cornea, and hits the retina at the back of your eye. The retina is covered with photoreceptor cells called cones, which help us see color. We have about six million cone cells that send color information to our brain.
There are three types of cone cells: red, green, and blue. This makes us trichromatic, meaning we can see millions of colors. Some animals, like certain birds and fish, are tetrachromatic and can see even more colors, including UV light. Interestingly, about 12% of women have an extra cone type, allowing them to see even more colors than most people.
Complementary colors are pairs of colors that, when combined, create white light. This happens because of how our cones work. If you stare at a color for a while, your cones get tired, and you might see the complementary color when you look away. This is why complementary colors look good together and can be used in room design to create pleasing environments.
Men might find it harder to see some colors because the genes for red and green cones are on the X chromosome. This makes men more likely to be colorblind. However, some women have an extra cone type, allowing them to see many more colors.
This exploration of color encourages us to appreciate the beauty of nature and understand the science behind how we see. Learning more about color can change how we see the world around us. If you’re interested in learning more, platforms like Skillshare offer courses that can expand your knowledge and appreciation of nature.
Thank you for exploring the science of color with us. We hope you enjoyed this journey and look forward to sharing more exciting science topics with you soon!
Create your own color wheel using paints or colored pencils. Start by drawing a circle and dividing it into 12 sections. Fill in each section with a different color, ensuring you include primary, secondary, and tertiary colors. This will help you understand how colors relate to each other and the concept of complementary colors.
Conduct an afterimage experiment to see complementary colors in action. Stare at a brightly colored image for 30 seconds, then quickly look at a white surface. Observe the colors you see and note how they differ from the original image. Discuss why this happens with your classmates.
Work in pairs to conduct a survey on color perception. Show your partner a series of colored images and ask them to describe the colors they see. Compare your results with others in the class to explore how people perceive colors differently.
Use your knowledge of complementary colors to design a room. Create a mood board with images and color swatches that use complementary colors to create a harmonious and visually appealing space. Present your design to the class and explain your color choices.
Take a walk outside and observe the colors in nature. Bring a notebook and sketch or describe the colors you see. Pay attention to how different colors appear in natural light and how they might change throughout the day. Share your observations with the class.
Here’s a sanitized version of the transcript, with unnecessary filler words and informal language removed for clarity:
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Stare at this image for five seconds, and without realizing it, the photoreceptors at the back of your eyes will start to become fatigued. When this image turns white, you may see the green birds as red and the red background as green. This occurs due to biological processes in your eyes that connect you to the lives of pollinating insects. Understanding this can help you design rooms in your house to be more satisfying and can also explain why women may see better than men.
Seeing color is fascinating; it combines science with sensation. Over millions of years, our eyes have evolved to perceive wavelengths on the electromagnetic spectrum, roughly between 380 nanometers to around 700 nanometers. Wavelengths longer than this fall into radio waves and microwaves, which our eyes cannot see. Wavelengths shorter than this include UV rays and gamma rays, which our eyes also cannot see but can damage cells and cause cancer.
Focusing on the wavelengths of color, our eyes pick up specific patterns. Most people see less than 450 nanometers as violet, 450 to 485 nanometers as blue, 500 to 550 nanometers as green, 570 to 590 nanometers as yellow, 590 to 625 nanometers as gold, and 625 nanometers and above as red. No object actually possesses any color; an object absorbs certain wavelengths of light and reflects others. For example, a teal seafoam color absorbs all colors except for the seafoam teal, which is reflected to your eye, and your brain interprets this as color.
When looking at flowers like goldenrod, which bloom in August, the flowers absorb every wavelength of light except for those between 590 to 625 nanometers, which most people perceive as gold. This light is sent to your cornea, which bends it toward the pupil, controlling the amount of light hitting the lens, which focuses the wavelengths onto the retina at the back of your eye. The retina is covered in photoreceptor cells called cones, with around six million cone cells that absorb light and pass it to the brain’s visual cortex to be interpreted as color.
Your cone cells are divided into three types: red, green, and blue. Since you have three types, you are visually trichromatic. Some animals, like certain birds and fish, are tetrachromatic and can see within the UV wavelengths. The red cone is optimal for perceiving red, the blue cone for blue, and the green cone for green. These cells work together to allow you to see over 10 million different colors, unless you are among the 12 percent of women who can see even more.
Complementary colors are those that, when combined, produce white light. This phenomenon is due to how our cones work. If you stare at a color for a few seconds, the cones can become fatigued, leading to the perception of complementary colors when the stimulus is removed. This is why we enjoy looking at complementary colors next to each other; they create energetic reciprocity.
When designing a room, consider using complementary colors to create pleasing scenarios for your eyes. This can help you make decisions about your room’s design.
For men, seeing color can be more challenging due to the genes that encode red and green cones, which show high sequence homology on the X chromosome. Statistically, men are more likely to be colorblind. However, research suggests that 12 percent of women are tetrachromats, possessing an extra cone that allows them to see a hundred times more colors than others.
This video encourages you to appreciate the beauty of nature and the science behind color perception. Thank you to Skillshare for sponsoring this video. They are offering a free one-month premium membership to the first 1,000 people who click the link below. Skillshare is an online learning community where you can learn new things from home. My passion for learning has been greatly supported by Skillshare, and I highly recommend it.
This video exists because I spent more time in nature, inspired by a Skillshare course called Urban Nature Journaling. It taught me to observe nature in a new way, which changed my perspective on my surroundings. Skillshare is dedicated to learning, with no ads, and always updates its premium classes. Click the link below to get a free Skillshare premium membership for one month and support our show. Thank you for watching, and we’ll see you next week for a new science video.
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This version maintains the core information while removing informal language and distractions.
Photoreceptors – Cells in the retina that detect light and convert it into signals that can be processed by the brain. – Example sentence: The photoreceptors in our eyes allow us to see in different lighting conditions.
Wavelengths – The distance between successive peaks of a wave, often used to describe light and sound waves. – Example sentence: Different wavelengths of light are perceived as different colors by the human eye.
Retina – The layer at the back of the eye that contains cells sensitive to light, including rods and cones. – Example sentence: The retina plays a crucial role in converting light into neural signals for vision.
Cones – Photoreceptor cells in the retina responsible for color vision and functioning best in bright light. – Example sentence: Cones are concentrated in the center of the retina and help us perceive fine details and colors.
Colorblind – A condition where a person is unable to distinguish certain colors, often due to a deficiency in cone cells. – Example sentence: People who are colorblind may have difficulty telling the difference between red and green.
Complementary – Referring to colors that, when combined, produce white light or enhance each other’s appearance. – Example sentence: In art and design, complementary colors are used to create contrast and visual interest.
Trichromatic – Relating to the theory that the human eye perceives color through three types of cones sensitive to red, green, and blue light. – Example sentence: The trichromatic theory explains how we can see a wide range of colors using just three types of photoreceptors.
UV – Ultraviolet light, a type of electromagnetic radiation with wavelengths shorter than visible light but longer than X-rays. – Example sentence: UV light is not visible to the human eye but can cause sunburn and other effects on the skin.
Nanometers – A unit of measurement equal to one billionth of a meter, often used to measure wavelengths of light. – Example sentence: Visible light has wavelengths ranging from about 400 to 700 nanometers.
Nature – The natural world, including plants, animals, and landscapes, as opposed to human-made environments. – Example sentence: Studying nature helps scientists understand the complex interactions between different species and their environments.
