Since we were kids, everyone has wondered if the red you see is the same as the red I see. This thought marks personal awareness and a want to understand the world around us. A scientist specifically raised his daughter never describing or pointing out the color of the sky. The language researcher wanted to know what his daughter would see with a intuitive and unique viewpoint. When asked what the color the sky was she was momentarily baffled, the sky was colorless! Later she decided the sky was white, and later still, concluded blue. Can you see something you don’t have a word for?
Pulling on this curious thread, a picture of a multicolored striped dress debuted across the internet challenging viewers to figure out the colors on the dress. Answers included white and gold or black and blue, varying enough to include orange and silver in some cases. It is a fun exercise revealing anyone’s unique interpretation of sensory context. Thankfully scientists and historians have been hard at work, progressing our understanding of sight and shared sensations.
