Despite our many differences, there are certain things we humans can collectively agree upon: Brussels sprouts are gross, nobody should put honking horn sound effects in songs, and if Donald Trump tasted like something, it would be a withered 7-11 hot dog. But it turns out that some of the human experiences we regard as universal are definitely not -- for example, some people enjoy Brussels sprouts. (We call those people vegans, and we speak of them in hushed tones, lest they bake us something they promise 'tastes real!')
5
How Well You See A Color Depends On Your Language
Neupaddy/Pixabay
The esteemed Roy G. Biv taught us the basics of color perception back in grade school: Light enters your eye, the rods rod, the cones cone, and your brain translates the ensuing signal into a Led Zeppelin black light poster. It's purely a biological process. But if that's the case, why do both Greek and Russian languages have several different words for light blue versus dark blue? Do they actually see those colors differently than English speakers do?
dimitrisvetsikas1969/iStock
Does this look like a rainbow flag to them?
The best way to answer that question is to examine a culture that actually has fewer color words than English -- namely, the Himba people of northern Namibia. They group colors into just five categories: most dark colors (from red to green to purple) are zoozu, white and yellow are vapa, blue is borou (and also some greens, but not those described by zoozu), and dumbu is reds and browns (and also some greens, but not those described by zoozu or borou). Now, watch how this limitation affects their actual perception of color:
BBC
Seem like all the same color to you? The Himba man in the clip could, without a moment's hesitation, tell you that the upper-right square is dumbu, while the rest are borou.
How about this one?
BBC