Picture Of Viral Blue And Black Dress Also Shows White And Gold, And Twitter Is Arguing Over It Again
It's been eight years since the famous blue and black – or white and gold – dress broke the internet. Here we are in 2023, and it's gone viral again on Twitter.
An image of the famous blue and black dress has gone viral on Twitter. While this specific picture is not exactly new, it's definitely many people's first time seeing it. It displays a woman in the viral dress facing the sunlight. The lighting gives the illusion that half of the dress is white and gold, while the other half in the shadows remains blue and black.
Users in the comment section who have always seen black and blue are now finally seeing white and gold thanks to the image. "i used to think people were actually insane for seeing white and gold but now…" writes @MUNCHRIH.
"Lmao yep this is the only pic that makes me understand how people can see it white and gold," says @catesish.
There are, of course, people in the comment section arguing about what they see. "the dress is literally gold and white but is blue and black under the shadow," claims @aeminnies.
@wharborg adds, "This literally PROVES that the dress is white and gold."
"the dress was never blue and black," comments @PLAAYBOIBARBIE. "even in the shadow. you could definitely tell it's white and gold. people just wanted to be different so bad."
Other audience members are just begging for the meme to die out. "pls let this die.." says @HashiramaaSenj.
"Let’s pls leave this one in the past," adds @Nishmuse.
The Science behind the Dress
So, what's the science behind all of this? In one study, neuroscientist Bevil Conway and his colleagues asked 1,401 people what colors they saw in the dress. 57% described the viral dress as blue and black, while 30% believed it was white and gold. 11% thought it was blue and brown, and another 2% saw something else.
According to the team of researchers, the differences in color perception may be due to the assumptions the brain creates about the lighting of the dress so that it appears the same under different illumination. This is known as "color constancy." Those who saw the dress as white and gold likely thought it was lit up by daylight, so their brains ignored shorter and bluer wavelengths. Others who assumed it was a black and blue dress thought it was under a warm and artificial light, so their brains ignored longer and redder wavelengths.
Additionally, older individuals and women had a greater chance of seeing the garment as white and gold. The reason? The researchers' theory is that older people and women are more active during the day, while the younger audience usually spends time under artificial lighting. So, what do you see? Do you spend more time indoors or outdoors during the day? Answering these questions will help you find out why you see the colors that you do!
Don’t miss anything! Sign up for our weekly newsletter and get curated content weekly!