Is the famous dress blue and black,
or white and gold? “A scientific tale of two dresses,” produced by CNN, provides the scientific explanation for our inability to decide on the true colors of the dress that
has been captivating the online community. Cones, or eye structures in our retinas, perceive
colors in different ways depending on our genes. They detect the various blue, green, and red wavelengths in the images that we see.
After that information is processed, the cones and our brain integrate the
wavelengths perceived to make other colors. The colors in this blue/black, or
white/gold dress hit the threshold of color perceived by our cones that differ
from person to person. The paradox concerning the dress is that “each of
us makes slightly different unconscious assumptions” about which light to
filter out when we look at the dress. Dr. Emily Chew, an ophthalmologist at the National Institutes of
Health suggests that this dress could help pave the way for furthering our
knowledge on how we understand and perceive color.
Reference: Cohen, E. (2015, February 28). A scientific tale of two
dresses - CNN.com. Retrieved March 2, 2015, from http://www.cnn.com/2015/02/27/health/science-of-gold-blue-dress/
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