This dress broke the internet because your brain interprets light differently than others The phenomenon called color constancy causes your visual cortex to automatically adjust colors based on assumed lighting conditions. If The World We See Part 4: "The Dress" Will Still Fool You S Y N A P S I S What Colour Is This Dress? (SOLVED with SCIENCE) The Science Behind the Dress The New York Times The actual dress was black and blue. The confusion came from how lighting and color perception tricked people's brains, making some see it as white and gold. It became a viral example