Have you ever seen a picture of a dress and wondered why some people see it as one color while others see it differently? This dress has caused quite a stir, with some people seeing it as Black and Blue and others as White and Gold. We even asked people on Twitter, and the responses were split between the two options. At first, we thought it was a joke because we both saw Black and Blue.
The reason people see different colors is because of something called color constancy. Imagine looking at a cube. The middle square on the top might look brown, while a square on the side looks orange. Surprisingly, they are actually the same color! Our brains play tricks on us by considering the context, like shadows, and adjusting what we see. When there’s a shadow, our brain thinks, “Shadows make things look darker,” so it makes the square look lighter than it really is.
With the dress, a similar thing happens. The picture doesn’t give us much context about its surroundings, so our brains have to guess. People who see the dress as White and Gold might imagine it in a room with blue light, like near a window with a bright blue sky. In this scenario, the white dress looks bluish, and the gold stays the same.
On the flip side, those who see it as Black and Blue might think the dress is in a room with yellow lights. Here, the brain sees the gold as a reflection on black, and the blue remains unchanged.
This dress is a perfect example of how our brains interpret things differently based on individual perception and the environment in which we view the image. Scientifically speaking, the dress is actually blue. Here are some other pictures of it to prove it. This phenomenon shows how our brains have evolved to understand the world around us, often without us even noticing.
If you’re interested in learning more about fascinating phenomena like this, check out the ASAP Science book at ASAPscience.com/book. There’s a link in the description, and don’t forget to subscribe to our channel for more exciting science videos every week!
Conduct an experiment to explore color perception. Gather colored paper and different light sources (e.g., natural light, fluorescent light, and LED light). Observe how the colors appear under each light source. Record your observations and discuss why the colors might look different in each setting.
Research and find various optical illusions online. Create a presentation to share with your classmates, explaining how each illusion tricks the brain. Discuss how these illusions relate to the concept of color constancy and perception.
Divide into two groups: one that sees the dress as Black and Blue and another that sees it as White and Gold. Each group should prepare arguments supporting their perception. Hold a debate to discuss why each group perceives the dress differently, using scientific explanations from the article.
Create a piece of art using colors that change appearance based on context. Use shadows, lighting, and surrounding colors to alter how the colors are perceived. Present your artwork to the class and explain the techniques you used to achieve the effect.
Research how the brain processes visual information and how this affects perception. Write a short report or create a poster that explains the role of the brain in interpreting colors and images. Include examples from the article and other real-world phenomena.
Sure! Here’s a sanitized version of the transcript:
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Alright, so the world has seemingly become divided on this dress. What colors do you see? On one hand, we have Team Black and Blue, and on the other, Team White and Gold. We asked on Twitter and received hundreds of responses for both sides. For what it’s worth, we both saw Black and Blue and initially thought this was a prank.
So how can it be possible for people to see it so differently? It’s a phenomenon known as color constancy. Take this cube, for example: the middle square on the top appears to be a shade of brown, while the one on the side looks much more orange. But in actuality, they are both the exact same color. We promise we haven’t cheated or used any trick photography. Instead, our brains look at the context, see a shadow, and instantly think, “Oh, shadows make objects appear darker.” So the brain compensates and interprets the square as lighter than it appears until the shadow is removed.
Back to the dress: we have a similar situation, but here the context is very arbitrary. We’re so close to the dress that we don’t really know its surroundings, and the brain has to make assumptions. People who picture the dress as white may be interpreting it as being in a blue-lit room, for example, near a window with a bright blue sky. It makes sense that the white dress would appear tinted blue, while the gold color wouldn’t change much.
On the other hand, those who see it as Black and Blue may be interpreting the dress in an artificially lit setting, like somewhere with yellow lights. As a result, the brain sees the gold as just a reflection off the black and believes that the blue has been unaffected.
Chances are, this image happens to be perfectly ambiguous to our brains, meaning it all comes down to individual perception and even how and where you view the image. From a factual standpoint, the dress is blue. In fact, here are some other pictures of it. This is a beautiful example of how our brains have evolved to interpret the world around us without us even realizing it.
Want more answers to the world’s craziest phenomena? Check out the ASAP Science book to feed your curiosity at ASAPscience.com/book. We’ll put a link in the description, and subscribe to our channel for more weekly science videos!
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Let me know if you need any further modifications!
Color – The property of an object that depends on the light it reflects and is perceived by the eyes. – Scientists study how different colors can affect our mood and behavior.
Constancy – The ability to perceive objects as having constant properties, such as size, shape, and color, despite changes in perspective, distance, or lighting. – Color constancy allows us to recognize the color of an object even under different lighting conditions.
Perception – The process by which the brain interprets sensory information to form an understanding of the environment. – Our perception of sound can change depending on the context in which we hear it.
Brain – The organ in the head that controls thoughts, memory, emotions, and the nervous system. – The brain processes information from our senses to help us understand the world around us.
Shadows – Dark areas or shapes produced by an object blocking light. – Scientists study how shadows can affect the perception of an object’s shape and size.
Dress – A piece of clothing that covers the body and is often used in studies about visual perception and color constancy. – The famous “dress” illusion showed how people can perceive the same dress as different colors under different lighting.
Blue – A color that is often associated with calmness and is part of the visible light spectrum. – The sky appears blue because of the way Earth’s atmosphere scatters sunlight.
Gold – A metallic yellow color that is often associated with wealth and luxury. – In the experiment, some participants perceived the dress as gold and white, while others saw it as blue and black.
Light – Electromagnetic radiation that is visible to the human eye and is responsible for the sense of sight. – Light is essential for photosynthesis, the process by which plants make their food.
Context – The circumstances or setting in which an event occurs, which can influence perception and understanding. – The context in which we see an object can change how we perceive its color.
