Blue eyes are unrealistically beautiful, and they also have some really interesting quirks!
There has always been (and always will be) an obsession with sky blue eyes - songs have been written about them and their unique beauty has been celebrated. But emotions aside - whether it's simple scientific facts or just genetics, blue-eyed people really quite different from brown-eyed. Although no one in this world has the same eye color as you - be it green, brown or gray - and therefore you are undoubtedly special, we have to trust you that blue-eyed people have received real "superpowers" from Mother Nature.
It's impossible not to be charmed by blue eyes, but what makes them all so special?
Blue eyes aren't really blue at all
There is no blue pigment in the eyes. Most of the human race gets its brown eye color from melanin, the pigment responsible for skin color. As for blue eyes, they get their color from the reflection of light. It's the same trick that makes the ocean and the sky maybe!
Blue eyes can change color
Blue eyes can be different colors depending on the lighting conditions. This happens because blue eyes get their color from light that enters the eyes and is then reflected. You can also slightly change the color of your eyes and make them lighter or darker, depending on the chosen make-up.
Blue eyes are very rare
Most people have brown eyes, while only 8 to 10 percent are lucky enough to have blue eyes. According to the World Atlas, the majority of blue-eyed people live in Europe, and Finland has the highest percentage of blue-eyed people.
All blue-eyed people have the same ancestor
A group of scientists from the University of Copenhagen discovered that all people with blue eyes are related. Between 6,000 and 10,000 years ago, everyone had brown eyes, but the gene that controls melanin mutated at some point. This mutation limited the amount of melanin we could produce, and brown eyes "dilute" to blue. All blue-eyed people inherited this genetic "switch" at the exact same place in their DNA.
Blue-eyed people are more sensitive to light
If your eyes are light-colored, you need to be extra careful with sun protection. Ophthalmologists believe that people with blue eyes are usually more sensitive to light. Because blue eyes do not have enough light-absorbing pigment, more light can pass through the iris and damage the eye.
Many babies are born with blue eyes, but the color changes later
When a child is born, you cannot say with certainty what their eye color will be when they grow up. Babies are born without melanin in the iris, the part of the eye that determines eye color. It is only after six months that the baby's genes determine how much melanin will be in the iris. Depending on this, the eyes may remain blue, or they may turn gray, green, or brown.
Blue-eyed people cope better with pain
People with light eyes are lucky to have a higher pain tolerance than people with dark eyes. Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh surveyed 58 pregnant women and found that women with blue or light green eyes felt less pain and coped better with childbirth than others. Scientists believe that genes associated with melanin may have a profound effect on pain tolerance.
