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The Dress That Divided the Internet: Why Our Brains See Different Colors
In 2015, millions of people looked at the same photograph and saw different colors. The science behind the disagreement reveals how our brains construct what we see.
Look carefully at the photograph below.
What colors do you see? Blue and black? Or white and gold?
Before reading any further, make your choice. Don’t try to analyze the lighting or guess what the correct answer might be. Just look at the dress and decide what colors you see.
Now, if someone is nearby, show them the same photograph. Don’t tell them what you see. Simply ask them to describe its colors.
You might agree. But you might also discover something rather strange: the person sitting next to you could be looking at exactly the same image and seeing a completely different combination of colors.
In February 2015, this seemingly trivial question became an international sensation. Friends argued with friends. Couples disagreed. Celebrities joined the debate, and millions of people took sides. Within hours, a photograph of an ordinary dress had become one of the most widely discussed images on the Internet.
