I was browsing the internet for random stuff when I came across the picture of this particular dress.
Remember when the blue-and-black/white-and-gold dress controversy took the internet by storm? Here’s a picture to refresh your memory:
The color of the above dress was heavily disputed on the internet. Some people could see a blue-and-black dress, while some could see a white-and-gold one. Apparently, it is the light in which it is seen that decides the perception of the color.
The controversy surrounding the color of the dress made me think of something else.
Why is it that men see red whereas women see crimson?
Well, a shopping trip made me understand why.
Last week I went shopping with my dad (unfortunate for him). Our little shopping trip turned into a mini-arguement. Let me start from the beginning. It all started when I put on some weight in the last six months. With my t-shirts screaming to tear apart at the seams, I decided to take a shopping trip. My dad came along because he was bored. It was a fine Sunday until I picked out some t-shirts.
I approached my dad, holding two t-shirts in my hand, asking him to choose one. One was a police green colored one and the other was a parrot green colored one.
He stared blankly at the t-shirts and said, “I see no difference”.
Irritated with the lack of help from him, I suggested that he should probably get his eyes checked because the two t-shirts were clearly of different colors. He got a bit mad at me and insisted quite adamantly that he couldn’t see any difference. That’s when it struck me that he really couldn’t see any difference. And so, hello google.
After some research, I found out that scientists at Brooklyn College led by Israel Abramov performed color experiments. As a part of these experiments, men and women were shown objects of different shades of colors.
What they found was quite astounding –
Men and women ascribe different shades to objects of the same color.
Even when men and women see the same objects, of the same shade, in the same lighting, they tend to see different shades. This is not a sexist thing where women are supposed to know more shades of color than men. Apparently, men and women perceive the same color differently. So where men see blue, women see indigo.
The reason for this difference in perception is that men require a slightly longer wavelength than women to experience the same hue. Since longer wavelengths are associated with warmer colors, colors like orange might appear redder to men. The scientists hypothesize that testosterone plays a major role in color perception.
After reading the experimental study, I decided to try out my own little experiment with dad. He and I went around naming colors of different clothes. Our unscientific experiment yielded the same results as the scientific one. And with that, we ended our little argument.
So here’s a quick game for you. Sit down with your mom/dad and individually list down the shades of colors given below and see whether you get the same shades. (Answers are given at the end)
Colour No. 1:
Colour No. 2:
Colour No.3:
Colour No. 4:
Colour No. 5:
Colour No. 6:
Colour No. 7:
Colour No. 8:
Colour No. 9:
Colour No. 10:
Answers:
- Lime
2. Sky blue
3. Peacock
4. Brown
5. Scarlet
6. Orange
7. Lavender
8. Hot pink
9. Blood red
10. Cream white
How many did you get right?