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Is the red that I see the orange that you see?  When we look at the blue sky, are we seeing the same color?  How about the infamous dress, which some people see as black and blue and some see as white and gold?

When we see color, the cones within our eyes interpret the wavelength of the light they receive.  But what we see is not always physical reality.  Take, for example, distant mountains.  They are not actually blue, rather, what we see as blue sends a signal to our minds to alert us that the mountains are far away.  With everything we see, there is a psychological component to color which helps us to interpret the world around us.  What’s more, it can be affected by things like language, culture, artistic ability, background, and gender.

Today, our guest is Dr. Mazviita Chirimuuta. Mazviita is an associate professor in history and philosophy of science at the University of Pittsburgh.  She received her PhD in vision science from the University of Cambridge.  With her current research in mind and brain science, she aims to figure out the philosophical implications of what we perceive.  We discuss perception, art, and find out there is more to color than meets the eye.