The Purple Puzzle: How Our Brains Trick Us

Purple is everywhere. From flowers to fruits, and even butterflies, this color is a common sight. But here's a curious fact: purple doesn't actually exist in the visible light spectrum. This might sound strange, but it's true. The color we see as purple is a trick played by our brains. Light is made up of different wavelengths. Our eyes have special cells called cones that detect these wavelengths. There are three types of cones, each picking up different parts of the light spectrum. One type sees red, another sees green, and the third sees blue. When light hits our eyes, these cones send signals to our brain. The brain then mixes these signals to create the colors we see. Here's where it gets interesting. Purple is created when the brain combines signals from the red and blue cones. But red and blue are on opposite ends of the light spectrum. So, in a way, purple is a made-up color. It doesn't exist in the light that reaches our eyes. Instead, it's a creation of our brain. This isn't the only color that our brain makes up. Magenta is another example. These colors are called "nonspectral" because they don't come from a single wavelength of light. Instead, they are a mix of two wavelengths. Purple has always held a special place in human culture. Ancient people even made a rare dye from sea snails. This dye, called Tyrian purple, was so valuable that only royalty could wear it. Even today, purple is often linked to wealth and power. So, whether it's real or not, purple has always been seen as something special. Think about this: if purple isn't a real color, what other things might our brains be tricking us about? Our perception of the world is shaped by our brains. So, it's important to question what we see and think critically about it.