What’s So Special About Blue Eyes?

Blue eyes mean a lot of things to different people. Are blue eyes inherently sad or cold? Many songs seem to tell us so. They’re exotic to much of the world, since only 8–10% of the world population has blue eyes. What is it about blue eyes in particular that fascinates us so? Well, there’s a lot to explain. Here are some surprising facts about blue eyes that explains why they’re so special.

Blue eyes aren’t really blue

This may come as a shock to many, but it’s true. Blue eyes are blue the same way that the sky is blue or the sea is blue. It’s actually clear, but because clear things scatter light, only the blue reflects back. It’s a weird natural phenomenon called the Tyndall effect. Here’s how it works: your iris is made up of layers that either have melanin (pigment) or don’t. If they’re all melanated, you have brown eyes. If none of them are, you have blue eyes. And if some are and some aren’t, congratulations, you have green or hazel eyes, which are even rarer than blue.

Some babies are born with blue eyes that change color

Many babies are born with blue eyes for the simple reason that they haven’t developed pigment in their irises yet. Some babies born with blue eyes will darken to green or hazel or even all the way to brown. You can never be sure of a baby’s eye color until at least a year after birth, sometimes longer. It depends when the melanin-producing genes kick in. This has led to some awkward problems in the past and has often been seen as proof of infidelity, but it’s really just genetics and biology taking its time. Nothing to get panicked over.