Blame your brain (and not your eyes) for the way you see the dress. — -- Everybody, chill. There's a scientific explanation for why #TheDress looks black and blue to some people and white and ...

Black smoke indicates a non-conclusive answer, and white smoke indicates that a new pope has been selected. Here's what to know about the black and white smoke used during a papal conclave.

Black smoke emerging from the chimney means the world's 1.4 billion Catholics don't yet have a new pope. White smoke means the cardinals have chosen a new leader of the church.

And once the election process for a new pope begins, gatherers will turn upward each day, waiting for black or white smoke to fill the sky. Francis died on Easter Monday, April 21.

It wasn’t clear whether grey smoke was closer to black or white, for example. By the 1970s, the straw method had been abandoned in favour of more controllable chemical mixtures.

Kamala Harris attended the 2025 Met Gala on Monday, wearing a black silk gown from Off-White by IB Kamara, featuring a long scarf, sweeping white statement sleeve, and a pleated skirt.