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Curious Cases

The Colour Conundrum

Curious Cases

BBC

Technology, Science

4.84.1K Ratings

🗓️ 24 March 2022

⏱️ 36 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

The world is full of colour! But, wonders listener Maya Crocombe, ‘how do we see colour and why are some people colour blind?’ Dr Rutherford and Professor Fry set out to understand how special light-sensitive cells in our eyes start the process of colour perception, why people sometimes have very different experiences of colour and whether, in the end, colour is really just ‘in our heads’. Dr Gabriele Jordan from Newcastle University explains why lots of men struggle to discriminate between certain colours and why there were lots of complaints from colour-blind viewers when Wales played Ireland at rugby. Professor Anya Hurlbert, also from Newcastle University, tackles the most divisive of internet images: The Dress! Did you see it as blue-black or yellow-gold? Anya explains why people see it so differently, and why our ability to compensate for available light is so useful. Finally, Dr Mazviita Chirimuuta, a philosopher at the University of Edinburgh, gives us her take on what all this means: are colours real, or just in our minds? If you want to see some of the images and activities referenced in the episode read on... To take the colour perception test which Hannah and Adam do in the epsiode, search for the 'Farnsworth Munsell Hue test' - you can do it online for free. To see the Dunstanborough Castle illusion as described in the episode, check out the Gallery section on the Curious Cases BBC website. To learn more about colour blindness, and for support and resources go to colourblindawareness.org Producer: Ilan Goodman

Transcript

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0:00.0

BBC Sounds, Music, Radio, Podcasts.

0:05.0

MUSIC

0:11.0

I'm Dr Adam Rutherford.

0:13.0

And I'm Dr Hannah Fry.

0:14.0

And you are going to send us your everyday mysteries.

0:17.0

And we are going to investigate them using the power of...

0:20.0

Science!

0:21.0

Science!

0:22.0

I like it.

0:26.0

Hello, Curios.

0:27.0

This is the final episode of the current run, but we will be back later this year.

0:32.0

I think we're it was contracted via blood to do this until we die.

0:37.0

Anyway, here's the programme.

0:39.0

MUSIC

0:44.0

Today's question was sent in to CuriousCases at BBC.co.uk

0:48.0

And it comes from 11-year-old Maya Crockum.

0:51.0

I would really like to know, she says, how we see colour

0:54.0

and why some people and animals are colourblind.

0:57.0

This is a very good question, Maya.

0:59.0

This one is very much in my wheelhouse.

1:02.0

Well, hold on there a moment, Adam, because actually we've had more than one question in on this topic about how we perceive colour.

1:08.0

Camille Murdoch also asked, I have an English teacher who is colourblind to red, green and pink.

...

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