"The illusion contains nine purple dots against a blue background. When those of us with full color vision focus on one dot, it appears more purple while the rest seem to shift to blue."
"Different cones detect different wavelengths of light. There are relatively few of the blue-detecting ones in the center of our retina, called the fovea centralis."
"In front of the fovea is a protective layer of yellow pigments that acts like internal sunglasses, absorbing some blue and near-ultraviolet light before it even hits the cones in our retina."
Hinnerk Schulz-Hildebrandt created an illusion demonstrating the malleability of color perception. The illusion features nine purple dots on a blue background. When individuals focus on one dot, it appears more purple, while others shift to blue. This phenomenon is influenced by the distribution of color-detecting cells in the retina, particularly the fewer blue-detecting cones in the fovea centralis. Additionally, a protective layer of yellow pigments in the eye reduces blue perception in the center of vision, enhancing the illusion's effect.
Read at www.scientificamerican.com
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