13. Black, white and red all over

Wow, seeing everything in shades of grey is something we don't normally think about. And dogs do it all the time. Knowing everything about the colour red and not having seen it makes the experience all so bizarre yet it's possible. Poor Mary.

Scientists can strip everything to its basics, explaining bonds, chemicals, reactions, processes and all else about something. The problem is that we don't experience life that way. We know red for the colour it is and not bother that the light reflected into our eyes has a wavelength between 625–740 nm. Beyond the actual colour, seeing red triggers various emotional, psychological and artistic responses too. Science can't really explain that, merely suggest the triggers and outcomes. At the same time, we can relate to Mary's predicament, though not as dramatic, in the way we read travelougues. We can read all about the sights and sounds of Istanbul and imagine, but being there allows to take in everything, from the air to the smells to the feel of the food and walls. It's just different and irreplaceable. (Damn, I need to go to Istanbul!). People feel first then analyse, we can't run away from that.

Mary will be having a hard time once she's able to see colour. Though the world will be alive and exciting, imagine if someone tells her that purple was blue. She might get it wrong forever. Unless of course she tests for wavelengths!