U.S.

We're Bringing #TheDress Back ... You're Welcome

Despite the #TheDress mystery being solved as blue and black, we still didn't know why our brains played tricks on us. Science has the answer.

We're Bringing #TheDress Back ... You're Welcome
Prachatai / CC BY NC ND 2.0

And you thought you'd never see another headline about this again ... 

You know, the dress. That one. The one that almost started World War III because no one could agree on whether it was actually white and gold or blue and black. Our writer says white and gold.

Oh, did we just insert our bias into a story? Yes. Yes, we did.

Well, researchers who clearly had too much time on their hands decided to explain why everyone saw different colors. They published their findings in the journal Current Biology

We already knew the dress was actually blue and black. We don't want it to be true, but ... it is. 

But why? Why does it look so different depending on whom you ask? Well, thank you, science. Here's the answer.

"Some people favor a cool illuminant (blue sky), discount shorter wavelengths, and perceive white/gold; others favor a warm illuminant (incandescent light), discount longer wavelengths, and see blue/black."

The study surveyed 1,400 people and found older people, women and morning people (oddly enough) were more likely to see white and gold. Younger people, men and night owls were more likely to see blue and black. Researchers asked people to identify the dress's colors by using a color gamut, which is a range of colors the human eye can identify. 

So it truly is in the eye of the beholder. 

And regardless, the dress has been released in both colors now. So let's just lay this one to rest, OK?

This video includes images from Andrew Whalley / CC by NC 2.0 and Adoniscik.