People Are Freaking Out Over The Colors Of These Flip-Flops

Uh-oh, here we go again.

First came #TheDress, then it was #TheJacket. Now it is this pair of Havaianas flip-flops that’s dividing friends, splitting families and sparking Twitter meltdowns.

Some people say they are black and blue, others are convinced they are black and brown. There’s also the claims that they are white and gold, or blue and gray or even white and gray.

Twitter user @positivedemi prompted the debate last Thursday by posting the above image online and asking people what colors they saw. BuzzFeed News repeated her question over the weekend, and the answer is now being fiercely debated across the world.

Just as with #TheDress back in February 2015, science can explain why different people see different colors when they look at the image.

Mitchell Moffitt, co-creator of the YouTube series ASAPScience, put it down to color constancy, which is essentially how human brains adjust the way colors are perceived, depending on the context in which they are being viewed.

Watch Moffitt’s explanation below:

As debate continued over the colors of the flip-flops late Sunday, the Brazilian footwear brand tried to put the matter to rest. A spokesman confirmed to The Huffington Post via Facebook that the pair featured in the viral photograph was actually blue and dark blue (see below).

So now you know.