Biologists have discovered a mutant fruit fly which has vision not to different from our -- that sees colours the same way and, like us, struggles between blue and green shades that look indistinguishable from each other.

Sinatra, named after Ol' Blue Eyes because a mutated gene affected vision and left her 'singing the blues," has enabled biologist to understand better how flies can distinguish between certain pigments, particularly when it comes to blue and green objects, colours that to other insects may merely appear blue to them

Using genetics, behaviour, electrophysiology and computer modelling, it became possible to investigate not just how Sinatra and regular fruit flies perceived color vision differently but also learn more about visual perception in humans by drawing parallel inferences as to what might also happen inside our brains during similar perceptual challenges.. This has led not only to greater insights into colour perception among these organisms but may help us comprehend our own colour perception on a deeper level as well.