Neil deGrasse Tyson Explains How We See Colors

Is that apple in your hand really red? Or is it another color? Or is it even a color? On this StarTalk explainer video, Neil deGrasse Tyson and comic co-host Chuck Nice are exploring how we see colors.

Neil settles the “blue dress vs. gold dress” debate that took the internet by storm a few years back. We reflect on the relationship between scientific advancements and our physiological senses. You’ll learn why things are different colors. We discuss white light.

Neil explains why, if you’re holding a red apple in your hand, the apple is not actually red. What happens if you take a red apple up to a light that has no red in it? What color would the apple be? All that, plus, we talk about “dark adaptation” and how it impacts the way we see colors in the dark.

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Science meets pop culture on StarTalk! Astrophysicist & Hayden Planetarium director Neil deGrasse Tyson, his comic co-hosts, guest celebrities & scientists discuss astronomy, physics, and everything else about life in the universe. Keep Looking Up!

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0:00 - Introduction
0:38 - What Color Means To Astrophysicists
2:12 - The Debate Over The Color Of 'The Dress'
4:09 - What Are The True Color Of Objects
8:37 - Black Is The Absence Of Color
12:05 - Neil's Dark Adapt Experiment
14:22 - The Most Efficient Way To Take Notes
15:04 - Closing Notes

[mikethompson]

ITS WAY MORE THAN I CAN COVER IN THIS SHORT A LONG ONE THEN NEIL !!!! YOU KNOW WE LOVE EVERY MINUTE OF THESE !! :)

[SkyyVega]

Ooof I felt Neil’s frustration when he was trying to not tell him it would be black. I was literally yelling IT WILL BE BLACK 😹😹😹

[whatdamath]

I admire Neil's ability to communicate concepts, but I also love exploring ideas from deeper perspectives. In this case I really wanted to address a few misconceptions that might arise from his explanation.
When he talks about color (e.g. apple, dress) – the concept is very subjective and is entirely made inside every one of our brains. It has no “physical reality”. This is very different from the scientific concept of spectrum that he is trying to convey which refers to the frequency of light spectrum. The dress color and the idea of apple being red are all perceptions formed inside our primary visual cortex and are interpreted entirely differently by each and every human being on Earth.
People that are color blind will obviously perceive said apple or dress differently, as will people from entirely different cultures to your own. There are countless psychological experiments that show that for example growing up in an Amazonian tribe vs a cosmopolitan city will result in an entirely different primary cortex that’s able to interpret shades of green that a city dweller cannot see. At the same time, the color constancy (relevant psychological concept) means that we also tend to use secondary cortices in our brain to create a kind of a bias toward seeing certain things certain way. Meaning that even under a different light our brains may interpret the apple as red, even though no actual “spectrum” is sent into the eye.
All of these color concepts are difficult to explain without taking the study of perception into consideration, so I find it’s best to explain things one at a time because this is a lot more complex than “white and black” for the lack of better pun.

[stevenmetter]

Color of evil Is obfuscation of the the truth

[thesolipsismdilettante]

I taught this to my daughter by touching the absorbed light of a black car then she touch the cool white car. Great science lesson to teach kids

[spicysaucysweet]

Hencefore the blueberry will now be dubbed "The absence of blue light berries".

[InsaneMetalSoldier]

I'm sure I'm now the only one that yelled at Chuck: "SAY BLACK FOR GOD'S SAKE!

[newgrowth]

Chuck looks like he smoked a heavy Sativa before the show 😂 Love these 2 🧠 🧠

[Laser]

This was definitely one of the funniest explainers

[TheGuruMeditation]

This is brilliant. As a director of photography I deal with color every day. A lot of this comes into play especially when I am using color filters in front of the lens. Also understanding why a red filter makes a blue sky dark on black and white film and why a green filter makes foliage light. Awesome episode guys!

[keithmaddox]

Oh man Chuck and Neil, you got it all wrong, especially Chuck. Telescopes can't see Coke because of Caucasianation due to the refreative coating on most ( but not all ) lenses. This was added to most Merican made lenses manufactured after 2020 due to trumpization and import laws. Sorry to let you know :(

[hulkyassassin]

I thought i understood this but then i came across this video on youtube :

Now, i'm confused.

Is the apple inherently not red but appears red because it's rejecting red from the white light like Dr. Tyson says?

or is it red because it's (skin is) already red and is just acting as a filter/surface and reflecting the red from the white light as shown in the above video link?

Can anyone clear this for me?

Thanks in advance.

[stk]

I loved this episode I did not only learn but I laughed so hard.

[olivialakyn]

I had a heated discussion with some old pals a few years back about this exact subject.

Got extremely intense.... BUT I know now that I was totally right, so thank you for this! ☺️

[angeleyez]

The +100 dislikes are from colorblind people.

Thank you StarTalk and Dr. Tyson for yet another amazing video. We need such educational videos more than ever considering how thru online courses teachers are not as interactive as they used to be in a real classroom. Keep it up! 👏🏻

[uptownkidd]

I can't tell of Neil is faking his laugh or not 🤣

[pariks]

Could you explain how we see white color? What color the object is supposed to be? - black? And if thats true then all white people are actually black & vice versa??

[bushwick]

People definitely looked at me weird when I was yelling "IT'S BLACK! At my phone with headphones on 😂😂

[bnqyr]

Last week you tell me what we call North and South magnetic poles are actually the opposite of what we call them, and now this week you tell me every coloured object I see is actually everything except that colour!!!
My mind is blown. Thanks for everything you do.

[aritzendollar]

🤣 "An object isn't really it's color." I kept thinking, "There is no spoon." 😂