manual

52
The afterimage stays impressed on the retinas. Because
you have fatigued the blue and green sensitive cells, you
see complementary colors.
Retina
The retina in the eye is connected to the brain
via the optic nerve (see eye diagram on page
40). It’s made up of millions of light sensitive
cells: rods for black and white and three types
of cones for distinguishing colors: red, green,
and blue. All other colors result from a mix of
the three. The white box reflects all the colors
(see pages 32 and 34). But some of your cones
are too tired to perceive them.
rods cones
section of the retina
Complementary Colors
If you mix together two
complementary colored lights,
you get white light.
Try this:
Stare at a star on the flag for a minute and then glance at the white box to
the right of it. Do you see a red, white, and blue American Flag?