Uploaded January 2026 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago

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No matter what device you're watching this on, you're getting the same 16 million colors everyone got in the early 90s. What's up with that?

Watch this video Ad-Free on Nebula:
nebula.tv/videos/scienceasylum-your-screen-is-secretly-30-years-old-heres-why

Nick Lucid - Host, Writer, Editor, Animator
Emily Lucid - Producer, Captions
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VIDEO ANNOTATIONS/CARDS

How Computers Do Math:
youtu.be/sgVosaLhPV0

White Dwarf Facts:
youtu.be/Gvl6ApJFB7E
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RELATED YOUTUBE VIDEOS

Origin of Bytes (Computerphile):
youtu.be/ixJCo0cyAuA
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HUGE THANK YOU TO THESE SUPPORTERS

Asylum Orderlies:
Chloë Joan López, Dhruv Singhal, James Smith, Joel Wolhendler, Peter Engrav

Einsteinium Crazies:
Benjamin Sharef, Dan Sullivan, Eoin O'Sullivan, Jonathan Lima, Joseph Salomone, Kevin Flanagan, Matias Cveczilberg

Plutonium Crazies:
Al Davis, Compuart, Kevin MacLean, Rick Myers

Platinum Crazies:
Christopher Bennett, Clayton Bruckert, David Johnston, E. W. Darbyshire, JJS, Jonathan Reel, Li-Ce Hu, Marino Hernandez, Mr. Orn Jonasar, Ulrich
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SOURCES

General History:
dosdays.co.uk/topics/monitors.php
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_display_technology

IBM Enhanced Color Display 1984:
minuszerodegrees.net/oa/OA%20-%20IBM%20Enhanced%20Color%20Display%20(5154).pdf

4-Bit Color:
int10h.org/blog/2022/06/ibm-5153-color-true-cga-palette
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LINKS TO COMMENTS

youtube.com/watch?v=Gvl6ApJFB7E&lc=UgwL5wklHvDBJJOEk_h4AaABAg
youtube.com/watch?v=Gvl6ApJFB7E&lc=UgzlTar7TPsae2Uak9d4AaABAg
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IMAGE/VIDEO CREDITS

Select imagery/video supplied by Getty Images
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TIME CODES

00:00 Intro
00:14 Color Pixels
00:46 Human Color Vision
01:10 RGB Color Space
02:05 Screens vs Vision
02:39 Bits and Bytes
03:26 Moderns Screens
03:46 Why 24-Bit Color?
05:22 Closing Thoughts
06:18 Featured Comment