OK, maybe not quite, but like everywhere else the world, the dress sparked lively debate, with four of our North Korean students seeing blue and black. Eight saw white and gold. (Which is what it is, obviously.)

This started a spirited conversation that ranged across the nature of light, screen quality, objectivity and perspectivism and - inevitably - whether the humidity in Singapore was causing some people to lose their minds. (It was.) We offered to get group tattoos of it, but so far no takers.

Still, it was a nice break from the rigours of learning about start-ups, growth models, funding cycles and government entrepreneurship policy, though there was plenty of energy left for intense discussions on the difference between a start-up and consulting model for business during the next workshop session.

It also perhaps helped illustrate just how much of our (sad?) social lives now take place online.