How do you know whether something is blue or green? New research from two young scientists shows that the brains of flies, like the brains of humans, pit different wavelengths of light against each other to create the mental illusion of color.

Understanding this competition could be key to deciphering vision and to designing new devices that help people see. Featuring Matthias Christenson and Sarah Heath, graduate students in the Behnia lab at Columbia’s Zuckerman Institute.

This video is part of Curious Minds, a video series highlighting students and early-career scientists at Columbia's Zuckerman Institute.