Nobody in the world has the same eye color as you. But if you are lucky enough to have eyes the color of the sky, you are even more special. And, apparently, blue-eyed people can have real superpowers.
We are fascinated by the beauty of blue eyes, so we decided to find out what makes them so special.
Blue Eyes Aren’t Actually Blue
There is no blue pigment in the eyes. Most of the human race derives brown eye color from melanin, the pigment responsible for skin color.
But when it comes to blue eyes, they acquire their color as a result of the reflection of light. It’s the same trick that makes the ocean and sky look blue.
They Can Change Color
Blue eyes can have different colors depending on the lighting conditions. This is because blue eyes get their color from incoming and reflected light.
You can also slightly change the color of your eyes and make them brighter or more opaque, depending on the makeup you choose.
All Blue-eyed People Have The Same Ancestor
A team of scientists from the University of Copenhagen discovered that all people with blue eyes can be related. Somewhere between 6,000 and 10,000 years ago, everyone had brown eyes, but at some point, the gene that controls the level of melanin actually mutated.
This mutation limited the amount of melanin we could produce and “diluted” brown eyes to blue. All blue-eyed people inherited this genetic “change” at exactly the same point in their DNA.
Blue Eyes Are Very Rare
Most people have brown eyes, while only 8% to 10% are lucky enough to have blue eyes. According to World Atlas, most blue-eyed people live in Europe. Finland represents the highest percentage of people with blue eyes.
Many Babies Are Born With Blue Eyes That Will Change Later
When a baby is born, you cannot tell what color their eyes will be when they grow up. At birth, babies do not have melanin in the iris, the part of the eye that defines the color of the eyes.
After 6 months, babies’ genes determine how much melanin will be in the iris. Depending on this, the eyes may remain blue or turn gray, green, or brown.
Blue-eyed People Are More Sensitive To Light
If your eyes are light-colored, you must take special care to protect them from the sun. Ophthalmologists believe that people with blue irises tend to be more sensitive to light.
Because blue eyes do not have enough pigment to absorb light, more light can pass through the iris and damage the eye.
What color are your eyes? Have you ever wanted to change that?
