This week, I got to talk to Kory Stamper, author of True Color: The Strange and Spectacular Quest to Define Color, exploring how color is a complex intersection of physics, physiology, and psychology. Human color perception is defined not just by wavelengths of light, but by the brain’s interpretive processes using specialized cells in the retina known as rods and cones. While rods detect light and dark, three types of cones are responsible for firing in response to specific wavelengths, which the brain then blends into the visible spectrum. Linguistics plays a vital role in this experience; studies of cultures like the Himba tribe in Namibia suggest that the specific terms available in a language can influence how quickly an individual differentiates between hues like blue and green. Research on infants even suggests that color recognition may trigger the brain’s language centers before the visual cortex, indicating that the human experience of the spectrum is deeply tied to the need for categorization.

Find more information about Kory Stamper and her book, True Color at

Buy the book on Amazon or wherever you get your books.

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Check out my other podcasts Fun Facts Daily | Art Smart | Rainbow Puppy Science Lab

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