Many of us believe that color is perceived by the eyes, when it’s actually perceived by the brain. That’s why it’s so easy for our eyes to play tricks on us!

When wavelengths of light bounce off an object, we see them as reflections through our retina. But our brains do the job of decoding color in the visual cortex. This is how colorblindness is determined – which is more an analysis of how someone’s brain processes color. Little quizzes like these may give you a hint at your own perception.

Statistically, more men are affected by color blindness than women, with nearly 8% having some sort of color deficiency. Women hover around .5%.

What is considered colorblindness is rarely the inability to see color at all. It Rather, it has to do with which photopigments the eyes can perceive, and which colors some may have a deficiency in. You may see a color one way, and another person will see it differently, either as a different hue or a different color altogether.

Red, green, and blue pigments are the basis of what our eyes (and brains) use to define colors. The test in this video measures which colors you are able to see. At first glance, some of the colors you see will look the same, while others look slightly off.

If you don’t get them all right, don’t worry, you just may have a slight issue with color vision. But there are some factors that could be influencing the way you see what you see. Your device’s screen, ambient lighting, and time of day may all be factors.

However, if you are concerned about not answering any of these correctly, then follow up with an eye specialist. Compared to other mammals, we humans are in pretty good shape.

For example, dogs and cats see mostly grays with a punch of blue or yellow here and there. A butterfly’s sight is much more advanced than a human’s, with photoreceptors that are able to see ultraviolet light. At night (in darkness), it is harder for us to distinguish colors unless we have night vision, so we tend to see black or gray. That’s normal.

With this little quiz, you are looking out for the subtle nuances in these color shades. If you get them all right, then congratulations, you’ve got good eyesight and great color perception.

For those who have some form of colorblindness, help is available! Special corrective glasses created by a company called EnChroma have been getting rave reviews by those affected by the condition. People who have never seen red or purple are being brought to tears by their technology. To experience the vividness of some colors for the first time is overwhelmingly exciting.

Try your hand at this tiny test and check your own color perception. There are more extensive versions available if you really want to put some time in, but let us know how you fare with this one.

Do you have any issues with colorblindness? How did you do with this test? Which colors do you have trouble perceiving?

Source:

NIH