Topic Selection Kairos and Timeliness

Topic Selection | Kairos and Timeliness

Readthefollowingarticleabout“TheDress”fromknowyourmeme.com.Takenoteofthesequenceofevents.Howlongdidittake tobecomepopular?Whenwasitmostpopular?Whydoyouthinkthepopularitydroppedoff?

About

#TheDress,alsoknownasWhatColorIsThisDress?,referstoaTumblrpostinwhichviewers wereaskedtoidentifythecolorofadress,whichappearedtobeeitherwhiteandgoldorblackand blue.ThequestionsparkedanInternet-widedebateinlateFebruary2015,launchingthecompeting hashtags “#WhiteAndGold” and“#BlackAndBlue.”

Origin

OnFebruary25th,2015,Tumblruserswikedpostedaphotographofadressaskingthescienceside ofTumblrtohelpidentifyitscolors,notingthatherfriendsweretornbetweenitbeingwhiteand goldorblackandblue.Within48hours,thepostgainedover400,000notes.

Spread

OnFebruary26th,BuzzFeedpostedapollaskingreaderstodecidewhatcolorthedressreallywas. Within10hoursthepollreceivedmorethan1.8millionvotes,with72%selecting“whiteandgold” (shownbelow).

Laterthatevening,BuzzFeedpublishedasecondpostrevealing that the dress was actually blue after finding it available for purchase on United Kingdom-based online retailer Roman Originals,whichlisteditasa“Royal-BlueLaceDetailBodyconDress” (shownbelow).

OnFebruary27th,RedditorAskScienceModeratorsubmittedapost aboutthedresstothe/r/AskSciencesubreddit,whereexpertsfroma variety of fields offered explanations of the color perception phenomenon.Inthefirst12hours,itgainedover2700votes(84% upvoted),3,600commentsandreachedthefrontpageofthesocial newssite.

Onthesameday,XKCDwebcomicauthor,RandallMunroe,usedhisFridayupdateto illustratethedifferencesthatbackgroundlightingeffectshadontheperceptionofthe dress’colorandincludedthefollowingstatementasthecomic’salt-text:

“Thiswhite-balanceillusionhitsohardbecauseitfeltlikesomeonehadbeenplaying throughtheMontyHallscenarioandopenedtheirchosendoor,onlytofindtherewas

#TheDress

OnFacebook,Instagram,andTwitter,userschimedinonthecolorofthegarmentusingthehashtag“#TheDress,”withtheopposingsides usingtheaccompanyinghashtags“#WhiteAndGold”or“#BlackAndBlue.”Within12hours,#TheDresshadreachedover400,000tweets,and

#WhiteAndGoldleadwitharatioof3:1tweetsover#BlackAndBlue.Bytheendof24hours,tweetscontaining#TheDresshadjumpedtoover

1.2 million while the competing sides maintained a similar ratio.

ScientificExplanation

Manyexpertshavecitedthecolorconstancyfeatureofthehumancolorperceptionsystem,whichattemptstomakecolorsappearconsistent undervaryingtypesofillumination,asbeingresponsibleforthedifferentcolorsidentifiedinthephotograph.Iftheviewerassumesawhite illuminant,thedressappearsblueandblack,butifablueilluminantisassumed,thedressappearswhiteandgold.

Inthespacebelow,drawthelifecycledrawnonthewhiteboard.Labelthe6stepsinthetimeline:birth,growth,maturity, plateau,decline,anddeath.Then,trytocharthow“thedress”wentthroughthistimeline:Whenwasitborn?Whendiditstartto grow?Whendidithitmaturity?Whatwasitsplateau?Etc.Doyourbesteffort.