Only a Person Who Can See Black Really Well Can Read These Words

Human color vision is a fascinating process. There is no color in the external world; color is an illusion created by the interactions of billions of neurons in our brain and projected onto the outer world we see. How does the human eye experience normal color vision? The answer is with special cells in the back of the eye. Those special cells are known as rods and cones. It is cone cells that allow you to have normal color vision.

A person with normal color vision has three different color sensitive cones in their retina: red, green, and blue. Each of these three types of cones are sensitive to different wavelengths of light and help to create color perception. The unique separation and overlap work together to enable those with normal color vision to see up to 1 million different shades of colors. A person born with color blindness has their color sensitive cones positioned in such a way that there is less separation between them and an excessive overlap. This reduces the shades of colors seen and the brightness of color, compromising the perception of many colors.

This quiz will test your color acuity and perception. Can you see subtle hue distinctions that others can't? Take this color test to challenge your ability to read words in boxes of similar shades of black.