system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
[ELI5] Why are the cones in our eyes blue, red, and green, instead of the primary colors that make up everything (Blue, red, yellow)?
gpt
> the primary colors that make up everything (Blue, red, yellow)?

You are talking about the subtractive primaries used for painting and printing and their correct names are cyan, magenta and yellow.  They are what you use when you start with a white canvas and add paint or ink to subtract light.  For example, yellow paint subtracts blue light leaving only red and green light for your cones to detect.  Using the names blue and red for the paint primaries cyan and magenta is common but technically wrong.

The colours of your cones, red, green and blue, are the additive primaries used by TVs and similar displays which start with a black screen and add colour.