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How do we humans see color that doesn't exist

How do we humans see color that doesn't exist

When we look at a rainbow, we see every color

that we can imagine. Except for one - the color magenta.

There is no wavelength of light for magenta. So it's not there. Our brain can see it anyway, but how?

Our eyes detect colors from three specialized cone cells. Each of them detects different wavelengths: red, green and blue.

But our brain makes a strange cognitive leap to perceive magenta, a pinkish-purple-red color, when two of the cones receive a signal from red and blue light. So when red and blue are present together.

Call it a brain superpower. One of many.