The Bezold Effect — Transcript

These words are written in the wrong colors.

Or are they?

They are.

But not the wrong one you think.

Believe it or not, they are all written in the same color.

It's called the Bezold effect, and now thanks to the Curiosity box, it's called fashion.

What I love about this illusion is that we have no idea how it works.

What we do know is that when a colored pattern is overlaid on a colored background, our brains, or maybe just our eyes, assimilate the colors into their additive mixture.

Right now, my foreheads are their same usual color, you would know that if you lived in reality.

But you don't, your awareness is just a spectator at your brain's show.

This phenomenon has been exploited for a long time by the produce business, the netting that fruit is packaged in.

Is specifically formulated to take advantage of the Bezold effect to make the fruit look better.

Speaking of adding colors, we also put a prism in the box, because not only can they make rainbows, they can also destroy them.

Like the rainbow we put on the box.

Positioned just right, the prism can combine its colors into a white line.

Oh, I'm a chameleon who can't pick a color.

Grow up, dude.

Pull yourself together.

Optically.

Uh, but Michael, optical illusions won't help me do math while I'm eating.

Why are you doubting me?

The box also comes with two pairs of chopsticks that are also functional slide rules.

So you can nourish your body with food and products, quotients, powers and roots.

Now that's what I call.

Bon appétit.