Every now and then, a bit of nostalgia bait drifts across my social media feed, with people pining for the brighter colors of the past – the vivid hues of the Toys R Us logo, or a 90s McDonald’s play zone. On Reddit, posters observe: “As I get older it feels like life is losing its color,” and ask: “Were colors brighter and more vibrant when I was younger?”
Indeed, according to research from the UK’s Science Museum Group, there’s been a stark increase in gray everyday objects since the mid-20th century. But this dullification may go beyond the modern preponderance of ashen cars, sad beige nurseries and millennial gray apartments. Scientists believe that color perception itself can fade, altering how the world appears. Depending on how your eyes – and brain – age, the bright red balloon you remember from your seventh birthday party might not look as vivid if you came across it again at 93.
