Understanding the Color Perception Behind Billie Eilish's Sneakers
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In a repeat of the infamous "The Dress" debate, Billie Eilish recently found herself discussing color perception with fans on Instagram. During a socially-distanced Saturday night in 2020, when asked about the color of a certain dress, she boldly asserted, “I’m about to prove this to you, but I can’t stress this enough… It is blue and gold. That’s what it is. Blue and gold. Watch.”
In a flash, Billie illustrated her point by painting over the dress with Instagram's color picker tool, seemingly providing irrefutable proof.
For those who may not know, the original "The Dress" meme arose in 2015 when a poorly lit image of a striped dress went viral. Some viewers perceived it as black and blue, while others saw it as white and gold. Even more perplexing, individuals who stared at the image for a while reported seeing the colors switch. This sensory phenomenon remains a subject of scientific debate, though it’s worth noting that the photo itself was washed out.
This conversation about color reminded Billie of a previous incident involving her Mint White Nike Air Uptempo sneakers, when her father remarked on their color.
“No, dude, so listen. You guys are all my f***ing dad. Years ago, I was wearing these shoes, and my dad was like, ‘Wow, those are so cool. What are those, like, pink and white?’ Dude. PINK AND WHIIIIIIIITE?” she exclaimed, pointing out how, by her standards, the shoes were clearly pink and white. Yet, a closer inspection reveals a hint of mint green.
To grasp this phenomenon, we must delve into the science of color and color perception.
Properties and Behaviors of Light
Light behaves as both a particle and a wave, thanks to quantum mechanics. For our discussion, we focus on the wave aspect, as the wavelength of electromagnetic waves, which we perceive as light, determines their color properties. The visual spectrum visible to the human eye ranges approximately from 400 nm to 700 nm. Shorter wavelengths possess higher energy, affecting their interaction with atoms and molecules on a microscopic scale.
The medium through which an electromagnetic wave travels can influence its properties. Dispersion occurs when the phase velocity of a wave varies with its wavelength and frequency, with a triangular prism serving as a classic example that disperses white light into a spectrum of colors.
Thus, we see that dispersion, refraction, and reflection can alter the wavelength, and consequently, the color of light. However, how a color is perceived when interacting with different materials depends on the properties of those materials.
Color Correction in Modern Cameras
With a basic understanding of light, we can explore how it is captured in photography. The technology of photography has advanced dramatically since the camera’s inception, leading to modern smartphones equipped with sophisticated software for low-light image correction.
Importantly, cameras do not perceive light as our eyes do.
When light hits a camera sensor, it registers a linear relationship (2:2), whereas our eyes perceive light in a non-linear manner (2:0.9), showing greater sensitivity to changes in darker tones—an evolutionary trait that aided survival in low light. To align camera captures with human perception, images undergo gamma encoding, redistributing light tones to mimic how our eyes perceive them.
Moreover, variations in display technologies, such as between an iPhone and a Macbook, further affect how we view images.
Not All Displays are Created Equal
Displays operate similarly to human vision. Pixels contain red, green, and blue phosphors that illuminate at varying intensities to produce a wide range of colors.
If you've recently upgraded to an OLED screen, you may have noticed the “true” colors and vibrant displays that differ from those of older LCD models.
When displaying images, the gamma encoding from the camera must be processed by the display. While standardized gamma settings have been established for computers, such standards vary for smartphones and newer devices. Additionally, factors like screen brightness settings, night mode, and ambient room lighting can influence color perception.
How Humans Perceive Color
The human retina contains two types of photoreceptor cells: rods and cones. Rods, which are more prevalent, help us see in dim lighting but do not detect color. Cones are responsible for color recognition, though they require more light to function effectively, explaining the difficulty in perceiving colors in low-light conditions.
The signals from color and light intensity are processed in the brain, leading to the colors we see. However, the question of whether two individuals perceive the same “red” remains largely philosophical.
Perceiving Color in Different Lighting Conditions
The human visual system can adapt to various lighting conditions, allowing us to recognize an object's true color despite poor illumination. This is why we can still identify a red shirt on a cloudy day.
Our brains reverse engineer how lighting affects color appearance, similar to recognizing a blue filter over an image. However, limitations exist, and under certain conditions, brightness perception can switch.
The case of "The Dress" illustrated how lighting can drastically alter color perception, where different lighting conditions led to varying interpretations of the dress's colors.
Lastly, both color temperature and the size of the light source affect how color is perceived. Higher color temperatures yield a closer approximation of pure white light.
The Case of Billie’s Mint — or Pink — Nikes
Billie’s sneakers appeared pink rather than mint green due to the Instagram camera's color correction in low-light settings.
The initial video shows a shift from a cool blue to a warm lavender before settling on pink. The lighting conditions were significantly different when she moved into a brightly lit bathroom, enhancing the visibility of the shoe's true colors.
This led to the realization that even with color pickers, both colors could be seen based on the surrounding context.
This ties back to chromatic adaptation, wherein without context, our brains can interpret the colors differently. Each part of the sneaker has distinct reflective properties, impacting how light interacts with the materials.
In a later update, Billie asked her mother to identify the shoe's colors, which she described as mint green, pink, and white, highlighting the complexity of color perception.
Under bright sunlight, the shoe's true colors became evident. The substantial difference in light sources made the colors appear more vibrant.
A Speculative Aside: Is it Chromatic Adaptation? Maybe it’s Colorblindness (Or Something Else)
Billie noted her father's confusion about the shoes, which could stem from color vision deficiency, a condition affecting many men. His perception might have skewed due to a mild form of colorblindness.
On the other hand, a rare condition called tetrachromacy, affecting some women, allows for an enhanced perception of color. If Billie possesses this condition, she may see distinctions that others cannot.
For those interested in color vision testing, resources can be found on the Color Blind Awareness website.
Full Video
So, what colors do Billie’s shoes actually represent? Are they mint green, pink, or both? Watch the video and share your thoughts in the comments!
Melissa Schmitz is a research engineer specializing in emerging technologies, holding degrees in physics and chemistry. Throughout her academic journey, she explored diverse scientific topics, from anatomy to quantum theory, to satiate her curiosity about the world. For the past decade, she has been an award-winning speaker and freelance writer, dedicated to making complex scientific concepts accessible to the general public.
Special thanks to Melinda Özel for her insights on color science and colorblindness, and Burim Shaqiri for his expertise on photography-related content that contributed to this article.