Who here remembers the “blue and black dress” controversy? It was a photo of a dress that many perceived as blue and black, while others saw it as white and gold. The dress may have been the most viral instance of this color discrepancy, but it definitely wasn’t the last. In comes Caitlin, who sparked a debate amongst her family with her “Aruba” nails.
A Modern Twist on the Famous Dress Debate
Caitlin, a TikTok creator, shared the ambiguity surrounding her manicure, revealing a family-wide discord on whether the hue leaned towards blue or green. In a quest for clarity, Caitlin sought an opinion from her wife, Leah, and other family members, but no one could agree on what color they were. The mystery deepened as Caitlin unveiled the original nail color, inviting viewers to partake in the mind-blowing enigma of deciphering the true shade.
In a caption pondering the uncanny resemblance to the infamous “blue and black or white and gold dress” conundrum, Caitlin revisited the nine-year-old internet sensation that sparked global debates over its true colors. The striped dress, a source of contention, echoed Caitlin’s current nail dilemma, causing viewers to argue over the true color of her nails.
The Science Behind Color Perception
Thousands of divided TikTok users expressed their opinions on the color, with some adamantly stating it’s green, similar to a sage or pistachio hue. On the contrary, others were convinced it was undoubtedly blue, leaving fans baffled as to what the color truly was.
In a WIRED article back in 2015, Bevil Conway, an artist and Harvard-educated neuroscientist specializing in color perception, delved into the science behind why people perceive colors differently. He explained that the visual system attempts to discount the chromatic bias of the daylight axis, leading people to either discount the blue side, resulting in a perception of white and gold, or discount the gold side, leading to a perception of blue and black. This insight sheds light on the fascinating intricacies of color perception that play a role in situations like the viral dress debate. Will the world ever manage to agree on a color?