Have you ever wondered how colours got their name or how they came into existence? Can there be truly dangerous colours? And do colours exist? Here are some intriguing facts about them .
Fact 1: Colours Do Not Exist.
We are familiar with the fact that when white light is incident on an object it reflects certain wavelengths. Our mighty brain tries to make sense of the overwhelming information our eye sends. It assigns certain colours to certain wavelengths, thus giving an illusion of “colours”.
Fact 2: Black and White
The enigma still exists when classifying the colour black and white. Scientists consider white as the mixture of all colours and black as the absence of colours. Painters have a different viewpoint. They say that white is the absence of colour and black- well, it’s a colour.
Fact 3: The Most Dangerous Colours.
Lead white
Used as wall paint has killed thousands of people in the past. Thankfully, the use of lead white is banned now.
Emerald green (Paris green):
Due to its toxicity it was used as rat poison and insecticide.
Fact 4: Men and Women see the Colour RED Differently
The perception of RED colour corresponds to the X chromosome. Since, women have two of them, they are much better at distinguishing burgundy from cherry red to tomato red and crimson.
Fact 5: Most loved colours
40% of the world’s population love the colour blue. The second most favourite colour is purple– preferred by 14% of the population. Red and Green are second preferences while white, orange and yellow are the least favourite colours.
Fact 6: Pink to the Rescue
When raging anger takes over, pink is the colour you go to. Its soothing property suppresses anger and anxiety.
Fact 7: Colours affect taste
The taste of food changes with the colour of the dish it is eaten from. Coffee tastes best when had from a brown mug.
Fact 8: Colour and Hunger
Yellow is known to make you hungry. This is the reason why famous food outlets have a combination of red and yellow in their logos.
Fact 9: How it’s made
Mummy Brown: Made by grounding mummy corpses.
Carmine: Carminic acid is obtained by boiling beetles which when mixed with aluminum or calcium salts results in carmine dye.
Verdigris: Made through a complex process involving wine and dirty dishes.
Ultramarine: Made from crushed gemstones from Afghanistan.
Tyrian Purple: Made from snail shells for exclusive use by emperors.
