It all began with an argument over a blanket. Dr. Patrick Mineault, a visual neuroscientist, believed the blanket was green, while his wife, Dr. Marissé Masis-Solano, an ophthalmologist, insisted it was blue. This disagreement led to the creation of a viral web app, ismy.blue, designed by Mineault to explore how people perceive color differently.
As a programmer and a visual neuroscientist, Mineault was experimenting with new AI-assisted coding tools when he decided to design a simple color discrimination test. The interactive site prompts users to decide whether various shades displayed on the screen are green or blue. These shades become increasingly similar until the site reveals where each user’s perception of green and blue falls on the spectrum compared to others who have taken the test.
Mineault added a feature that shows the distribution of results, which significantly resonated with people. He noted, “‘Do we see the same colors?’ is a question philosophers and scientists – everyone really – have asked themselves for thousands of years. People’s perceptions are ineffable, and it’s interesting to think that we have different views.” Astonishingly, the site garnered over 1.5 million visits since its launch in early August, highlighting a widespread fascination with perception and subjectivity.
According to Professor Julie Harris from the University of St Andrews, our brains are hard-wired to distinguish colors via retinal cells called cones. However, higher-level processing, such as naming colors or recognizing them from memory, involves both cognition and prior experience, making it a complex phenomenon. This complexity is what makes ismy.blue’s intuitive interface and visualized results immediately engaging.
The public’s interest in color perception recalls the viral sensation of ‘The Dress’ in 2015, which appeared white and gold to some and blue and black to others. Most differences in color perception are physiological, like color blindness which affects one in ten men and one in a hundred women. However, cultural and linguistic factors also play a role. The Sapir-Whorf hypothesis suggests that language shapes our perception of the world. For example, the ancient Greeks had no word for ‘blue’, describing the sea as ‘wine-dark,’ whereas Russian differentiates between light and dark blue.
Despite its popularity, there are limitations to ismy.blue’s results. Viewing conditions significantly influence color perception. Factors like device model, display settings, ambient light, and even the sequence of colors presented can affect responses. Mineault, aware of these variables, suggests that to achieve more consistent results, users should take the test in identical conditions.
Ultimately, ismy.blue serves as an entertaining example of citizen participation in science. While Mineault has no plans to publish formal results, the site reflects a trend of engaging the public in scientific inquiry, much like other initiatives such as Fold.it and Sea Hero Quest. These projects highlight the diversity of human experience and bridge the gap between the academic community and the general public.
So, what color is the contentious blanket? Mineault and his wife have taken the test numerous times. He says, “As soon as there’s a little green in there, I call it green,” while his wife sees blue. Perhaps the simplest solution is to buy a new blanket.
Source: Theguardian