The Story of "The Dress" and How it Changed the Internet Forever
The Viral Sensation that Started it All
The year is 2015. The month is February. A simple story titled ‘What colors are this dress?’ is published by listicle pedlar Buzzfeed, and the world changes forever. And for the record, I still can’t see "the dress" as anything other than white and gold.
A Simple Photograph with Global Consequences
A simple candid photograph of a dress ended up revealing differences in the way people perceive colors, with many unable to see the dress in its original black and blue. Cue millions of debates, tweets, and news stories. There’s never been a viral fluff piece quite like it since, and with "the dress" now officially ten years old, it’s not only one of the best optical illusions ever, but a reminder of a simpler time online.
The Science Behind the Phenomenon
According to the dress’s Wikipedia page (yes, it has one), there were various attempts to explain the phenomenon using Science™, but a consensus was never reached. Neuroscientist Bevil Conway suggested it could be related to the ways in which the human brain perceives hues of the sky, telling Wired, "Our visual system is supposed to throw away information about the illuminant and extract information about the actual reflectance … but I’ve studied individual differences in color vision for 30 years, and this is one of the biggest individual differences I’ve ever seen." And a study in Journal of Vision even suggested "people who were early risers were more likely to think the dress was lit by natural light, perceiving it as white and gold, and that "night owls" saw the dress as blue and black."
The Impact on the Internet
While we might never fully understand the differences in perception, we can certainly say that "the dress" now exists as a reminder of a very different era of the internet. In today’s world of infinite content, short-form video and hot takes, the whole thing looks positively twee. For weeks, celebrities and mortals alike debated about the color of a dress; no hate, no politicizing (as far as I recall, anyway), just fun. Remember when the internet used to be fun?
Conclusion
So, let’s raise a glass to the dress. While other color-based optical illusions have come close, none have ever matched it for sheer fun and virality.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is "the dress"?
A: A simple candid photograph of a dress that sparked a global debate about color perception.
Q: What was the original color of the dress?
A: Black and blue.
Q: Why did people see different colors in the dress?
A: Due to individual differences in color vision and the way the human brain processes colors.
Q: Is "the dress" still relevant today?
A: Yes, it remains a popular example of an optical illusion and a reminder of a simpler time online.
