QUESTION & ANSWER
Q: Why am I seeing purple?

A:

Cones are the cells in the eyes that see color. If you stare at one color for too long, they fatigue. Until they recover, it’s a common optical illusion to see the opposite color on the color wheel. So, staring at yellow for too long can make you see purple. See your doctor for any persistent vision changes.

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  1. Spooky Science: Discovering the Eerie Colors behind Afterimages. Scientific American. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/bring-science-home-afterimages/
  2. Test Your Eyes! Cone Fatigue. Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology. https://www.arvo.org/globalassets/arvo/advocacy/illusions/cone-fatigue-flyer.pdf

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