Is My Blue Your Blue?

And Article on Color Perception

Introduction

Do you and the people around you see the same color? What is color? These question has crossed the mind of many and to this day there is no definite answer for this confusingly difficult question. Two sides are usually taken when arguing this topic. Those sides being we do see the same color or we don’t. Although it is true that as of right now we are not able to see out of our peers eyes, science is virtually never wrong with their findings and believes. With science and medical science backing up the claim, we can say that we can all see the same shade of color if not blind or color blind.

How Does Color Work?

When talking about such a topic, the information on what actually causes color should be presented. In an article titled “What is color?” by an anonymous author, the author states that color is created by light, “Light causes color. Without light, color would not exist. Light that appears white to us, such as light from the sun, is actually composed of many colors. Each color has its own measurable wavelength or combination of wavelengths” (“What is color” 4). The author also talks about how wave lengths are not colored themselves, but give us the sensation of color. Wavelengths come in many different sizes, although human beings can only see a small portion of the whole spectrum which is called visible light. “At one end of the visible spectrum are the short wavelengths of light that we perceive as blue. At the other end of the spectrum are the longer wavelengths of light we perceive as red. All the other colors we can see in nature are from a combination of wavelengths found somewhere along the spectrum between blue and red. Beyond the limits at each end of the visible spectrum are the short wavelengths of ultraviolet light and X-rays and the long wavelengths of infrared radiation and radio waves, which are not visible to the human eye” (“What is color” 4). Also in the article, the author talks about dividing the visible spectrum into thirds, which are the primary colors of red, blue and green. In between the primary colors are yellow, cyan and magenta which make up the secondary colors. With all of these visible colors put together it creates what is taught in art classes around the world which is the color wheel. With nature creating the sensation we see as color, the sensation of color is proven similar and constant for everyone that is able to see it.

How Do Our Eyes Work?

Also in discussing what we see, we have to understand that our eyes are almost all anatomically exact. In an article titled “Eye Anatomy: Parts of the Eye” by Liz Serge, a nineteen year eye care journalist, compares the human eye to a digital camera. Serge states the cornea, which is the clear front surface of the eye and is where light is primarily focused acts like a camera lens (Liz, para. 4). The iris of the eye controls how much light reaches the back of the eye, much like a diaphragm of a camera (Liz, para. 5). The crystalline lens that is located right behind the pupil and also focuses light through a process called accommodation acts much like the autofocus on a camera. Focusing on near and approaching objects (Liz, para 6). And finally the retina acting like the electronic image sensor of a camera. The electronic image sensor converts optical images into the electronic signals, and the retina sends lightwaves to the visual cortex, which controls our sense of sight (Liz, para. 7).

How Does "The Dress Work"

Known as “The Dress”, this chaotic event happened in 2015 where the internet went crazy over a picture of a dress that was seen in two different color schemes. The picture blew up overnight and everyone wanted an explanation to its ways. In an article written by Adam Rodgers, he explains why many see the dress different to their peers. “Human beings evolved to see in daylight, but daylight changes color. That chromatic axis varies from the pinkish red of dawn, up through the blue-white of noontime, and then back down to reddish twilight,” (Rodgers, para. 3). Rodgers also explains why daylight affects what color people see. He interviews Bevil Conway in his article, a neuroscientist who studies color and vision at Wellesley College, and Conway says, “So people either discount the blue side, in which case they end up seeing white and gold, or discount the gold side in which they end up seeing blue and black,” (Rodgers, para. 3). Our brain assumes the color of the dress because of how different we see the lighting of the picture. Because the dress takes up most of the frame, our brain doesn’t have much background color to help determine the correct color. The brain only has light to determine the color. Only in certain situations, our brains mix up the colors we see, making it seem that we see different colors, but these situations are rare.

Conclusion

Doesn’t matter what shade you see, research and science proves that we all see the same shades. Whether the dress is black and blue, or white and gold to you, it’s only your brain tricking you making it seem as if we see different colors. With the way that the sensation of color is produced by nature, it is constant for every person able to see it. Although we will never be able to see through our peers eyes, science and modern medicine has rarely been proven wrong.

Work Cited