What colors do you see?

[Dr.Colosso]

 

[PeppermintPatty]

Pink and white

 

[RadishRose]

Blue green/grey

 

[hollydolly]

Looks definitely pink to me

 

[Naturally]

Pink and white

 

[Michael Z]

Blue-green and grey.

 

[RandomName]

pink, white, and gray. I see 3 colors.

 

[Lilac]

When I first brought the thread up & looked at it, I seen pink & white. I scrolled down to read responses & when I went backup, I then seen green & gray.

 

[Sunkist]

When I first brought the thread up & looked at it, I seen pink & white. I scrolled down to read responses & when I went backup, I then seen green & gray.

How did that happen???

 

[RadishRose]

Remember the DRESS from 2015?

"The Dress" was a viral 2015 optical illusion where a photo of a blue and black dress appeared as white and gold to many, sparking global debate because people's brains interpreted the ambiguous lighting differently, with some correcting for shadows (seeing gold/white) and others for bright light (seeing blue/black). The actual dress was blue and black, but the poorly lit photo made it look like white and gold for those assuming it was in shadow, while others saw it as blue and black under artificial light, showcasing color constancy.



TODAY
YouTube • Feb 20, 2025
The Science Behind the Illusion

• Color Constancy: Our brains automatically adjust for lighting to perceive an object's true color (e.g., a white shirt looks white in sunlight and shade).
• Ambiguous Lighting: In the photo, the lighting was so poor that brains made different assumptions.
  • Shadow Assumption: People assumed the dress was in shadow (overexposed blue light), so their brains subtracted the blue, making the blue look white and the black look gold.
  • Bright Light Assumption: Others assumed it was under bright artificial light, perceiving the true blue and black colors.

https://www.wired.com/2015/02/science-one-agrees-color-dress/

 

[MACKTEXAS]

I looked carefully at the photo before reading any replies. If I had to guess at that time, I would have chosen "pink and white," with no doubt about the white, but I wasn't pleased with choosing pink. Something looked off about it, but no other color came to mind.

I would never have chosen blue/green & grey.

 

[oldman]

I see some kind of green, gray and maybe a white stripe around the shoe sole. Not sure about the white or maybe it’s a reflection from the green.

 

[Naturally]

This shoe is whatever color your eyesight, screen brightness, and unresolved childhood issues decide it is.

 

[Babs2u]

Pink and white.

 

[bobcat]

Here's what AI says:

Why People See It Differently​

This is a classic case of color constancy and ambiguous lighting:

• If your brain assumes the shoe is lit by warm indoor light, it subtracts yellow/red tones — making the teal-gray appear pinkish and the gray appear white.
• If your brain assumes cool lighting or shadow, it preserves the teal-gray and gray tones — so you see teal and gray.

Pixel Verdict​

The pixels themselves are teal-gray and light gray, not pink and white. So if you're going by raw data, the shoe is teal and gray. But your brain might reinterpret those colors based on lighting cues — and that’s where the illusion kicks in.

 

[hollydolly]

Apparently this is the correct answer...


The image shows a viral optical illusion of a Vans Old Skool sneaker that appears to be different colors to different people.

• The actual color of the shoe is pink with white laces and a white sidestripe.
• Some people see the shoe as teal/blue and grey.
• The difference in perception is due to how an individual's brain processes light receptors in the eye, similar to the "The Dress" illusion.
• Theories suggest that people who see pink and white are more right-brain dominant (creative/intuitive), while those who see teal and grey are more left-brain dominant (analytical/practical).

 

[Jazzy1]

Pink and white.

 

[Dr.Colosso]

The whole pic is greyish/dark, but the thumb is also pink. I see pink and white.

 

[OldOld]

Apparently this is the correct answer...


The image shows a viral optical illusion of a Vans Old Skool sneaker that appears to be different colors to different people.

• The actual color of the shoe is pink with white laces and a white sidestripe.
• Some people see the shoe as teal/blue and grey.
• The difference in perception is due to how an individual's brain processes light receptors in the eye, similar to the "The Dress" illusion.
• Theories suggest that people who see pink and white are more right-brain dominant (creative/intuitive), while those who see teal and grey are more left-brain dominant (analytical/practical).

Give me the scientific evidence of this statement.

 

[hollydolly]

Apaprently Vans don't even MAKE a Teal shoe....

 

[bobcat]

Actually, the correct answer is the sneakers are neither color. Material objects don't possess color.
Color as we know it is reflected light filtered by an object’s surface. It is then interpreted by our brain based on context, and it is dependent on the light source and viewing conditions.

In short: objects reflect light and our brains turn that into color. The color you see is not fixed — it’s a dynamic collaboration between physics and perception. It's called Metamerism, and it means that color is not a property of objects — it’s a perception created by your visual system. Lighting changes the inputs, and your brain changes the output.

Even if you could get 99% of people to agree on a color, it still doesn't mean the object possesses color.

 

[Gem]

Pink and White

 

[CallMeKate]

Gray and green... *until* I tilt my laptop screen downward. Whole screen gets lighter and then I can finally see the pink and white.

 

[robin416]

Remember the DRESS from 2015?

"The Dress" was a viral 2015 optical illusion where a photo of a blue and black dress appeared as white and gold to many, sparking global debate because people's brains interpreted the ambiguous lighting differently, with some correcting for shadows (seeing gold/white) and others for bright light (seeing blue/black). The actual dress was blue and black, but the poorly lit photo made it look like white and gold for those assuming it was in shadow, while others saw it as blue and black under artificial light, showcasing color constancy.



TODAY
YouTube • Feb 20, 2025
The Science Behind the Illusion

• Color Constancy: Our brains automatically adjust for lighting to perceive an object's true color (e.g., a white shirt looks white in sunlight and shade).
• Ambiguous Lighting: In the photo, the lighting was so poor that brains made different assumptions.
  • Shadow Assumption: People assumed the dress was in shadow (overexposed blue light), so their brains subtracted the blue, making the blue look white and the black look gold.
  • Bright Light Assumption: Others assumed it was under bright artificial light, perceiving the true blue and black colors.

https://www.wired.com/2015/02/science-one-agrees-color-dress/

I showed hubs that pic when it was first circulating. He saw one color, I saw the other. I don't remember what each of us saw but it was opposing.