A podcast on this subject that I found a particularly nice listen: https://youarenotsosmart.com/2020/03/09/yanss-175-how-a-divisive-photograph-of-a-perceptually

A podcast on this subject that I found a particularly nice listen: https://youarenotsosmart.com/2020/03/09/yanss-175-how-a-divisive-photograph-of-a-perceptually-ambiguous-dress-lead-one-scientist-to-build-the-nuclear-bomb-of-cognitive-science-out-of-socks-and-crocs-part-one/ https://youarenotsosmart.com/2020/03/09/yanss-175-how-a-divi... Gist of it is this: The dress is under a harsh sodium lamp, If you spent your formative years around those (a night owl in the years when lots of sodium lights were present), you would pick up the subtle cues in the photo that would tell you that the dress is black and blue. Those with less fun histories lack the ability to pick those cues out, and misidentify as white and gold (me included).