Am I Seeing the Right Color?

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

In 2015, there was a social media roar about this dress. Was the dress black and blue or was it white and gold? Personally, I see black and blue. I remember in high school asking all my friends and everyone had a different answer. The reason the answers were different is because everyone's brain is unique and complex. The main reason there were different answers is because the light was hitting the retina at different times of the day. We have learned that the light comes through the retina and creates neural connections that is processed into an image. Roger talks about how daylight changes color. Throughout the day, the bright light dems and we have to adapt by seeing different colors. Rogers states "that chromatic axis varies from the pinkish red of dawn, up through the blue-white of noontime, and then back down to reddish twilight" (Rogers, 2015). This explains how our eyes can interpret a different color based on what time we look at the picture. 

Neuroplasticity is when our brains create new neural connections and alter existing ones in order to adapt to new experiences. Dr. Wanda Diaz Merced demonstrates this by changing the way she does her research from visual graphs to sound. Dr. Merced was born with diabetes and a rare complication cause deterioration of her retinas causing complete blindness at 29 years old. To continue her research in astrology she decided to create sounds from the radiation of the stars. We can see through neuroplasticity she was able to change a small part in her daily life that created a new way for her to continue her research. This proves that neuroplasticity can help change how individuals are able to adapt to new experiences!