Leave it to me to find random trivia about color…

• Chromadynamics is the study of the physiological effects caused by observing color. Scientists have proven that certain colors effect vision, hearing, respiration and circulation.
• A year-long study at the University of California helped dispel the belief that canines are colorblind. Three greyhounds, Flip, Gypsy and Retina, had no trouble telling red from blue, but could not distinguish yellow, green or orange.
• A test conducted at the American Psychology Association Convention found that the most favored jelly beans are black and red, and the least favored are white. This shows the perception of strength and weakness based on color extends into the area of taste.
• A tip for presentations: avoid using red and green together since many people have re/green color blindness and cannot differentiate between the colors
• As documented in studies, women used more elaborate color names than men, but contrary to other findings, older subjects of both sexes used more elaborate names than younger subjects.
• The first instrument ever designed to measure color was developed in 1880 by Joseph Lovibond, a British brewer, to ensure that the beer he produced was a consistent color
• The ancient 14th century Chinese developed the first tinted glasses. The honorable inscrutable judges wore glasses tinted with smoke to conceal their emotions during trials.
• Particular colors, according to a study form the University of California, Berkeley, can be associated with body postures. Blue – relaxed figure, red – violent or angry figure, red/yellow – dancer, green/blue – welcoming, thinking or searching figure.
• Coloring foods to make them attractive used to be a deadly business. During the 18 & 19th centuries pickles often owed their appetizing green color to copper sulfate, a poison which killed unknown numbers of consumers. Today, a mandatory certification process is in place under the FDA for any synthetic food color but is not required for extracted natural food colors.
• The first synthetic dye, mauve, was discovered in 1956 by Sir William Henry Perkins in England. Perkins\’ original colors, known as aniline dyes, belonged to a family of chemical compounds derived from coal tar which is no longer used as a starting material.
• The Maharajah of Jaipur was so enamored with the color pink that he constructed an entire pink city. Miles and miles of pink buildings were contrasted only by splashes of brilliant green doors. did the clever Maharajah know that by decreeing complementary green accents, his pink city appeared to be even pinker?
• Impaired color vision affects 8% of men and 1% of women.
• The eye has difficulty resolving colors at the ends of the spectrum.
• Light blue cannot be photocopied easily.
• An apparel study by Litigation Sciences examined the impact of attorney\’s clothing colors and how it affected the perceptions of approximately 1,000 Los Angeles jurors. Results indicated that brown, tan, gray and dark blue suits increased impressions of power.
• In the early days of the American colonies, pastel tints were obtained by mixing soured milk with deeper shades of pigment.
• The use of bright colors for danger signals, attention getters, etc., is entirely appropriate. high chroma red alerts seem to aid faster response than yellow or yellow-orange.
• With respect to learning and comprehension, color is superior to black-and-white in terms of the viewer\’s processing time and emotional reactions, but there is no difference in a viewer\’s ability to interpret information.
• With respect to memory performance, memory for color information appears to be superior in comparison to black-and-white.
• Fireflies, Fireworks, Dragonflies and Glow Worms: what do they have in common? They all glitter. The human eye seeks out stimulation and novelty. The metallic sheens not only capture the eye of the observer but also create a luxurious, upscale effect. Metallic finishes are now available in every shade of the rainbow.
• Inappropriate names can distort recognition memory for color. In a study where the color was given a slightly misleading name, the subjects would, after a delayed interval, select another color that was more in line with the misleading name then with the color originally viewed.
• Infants and young people respond best to single and multiple use of bright primary colors such as red, blue, yellow, rather than to blending of those colors.
• A recent study on video text information systems shows that younger subjects find multiple-color information more appealing, whereas older people tend to prefer two-color combinations.
• Frequency and four-color are the strongest motivators in business-to-business advertising. Eight out of ten surveyed said that they are more favorable influenced by four-color ads than by black and white ones.
• European studies, spanning a thirty-year time period(1941-1971), tested the prediction that extroversion and neuroticism accounts for preferences of specific colors and shapes. Introverts and neurotics prefer dark, dim colors and irregular shapes, while extroverts and non-neurotics preferred bright, intense colors and symmetrical shapes.
• The color red has long been associated with activity and vigor. in the second century, Galen, a much-respected Greek physician and writer, urged all young males to eat red food and drink red liquids to become more “sanguine,” full-blooded, optimistic and confident.
• Color perception changes over 65 and the lens of the eye “yellows” with age. Associated with normal aging is the inability to discriminate between closely associated colors such as blue and green. The cool range of colors tends to “gray” and warmer shades are easier for the elderly eye to perceive.
• Participants in a study of the systemic relationship between color and emotional response, showed significant differences in patterns of emotion that were aroused by the colors placed before them. The results were consistent with previous research: warm colors provoke active feelings and cool colors more sedate.
• In “Basic Law of Color Theory,” Harold Kuepper tells us that color is the portion of spectral elements that is not absorbed by an object and remitted as residual light. The light rays from this remission are not colors themselves . . . they are merely transmitters of information. If there is no observer, the color cannot materialize.
• No color evokes such a dichotomy of feeling like black. At various times it is described as: foreboding or funereal; magical or mysterious; suave, sexy or sober; powerful or pretentious; practical yet glamorous; but always a presence not to be ignored.
• In the early 20th century, Frenchmen particularly favored a vivid green drink called absinthe. It became so popular throughout the entire country that happy hour was established every evening called “l\’heure vert” (the green hour). Evidently, the inebriated population got a little too happy because in 1907 it was banned as a “dangerous intoxicant.”
• Ever wonder where the jeans in blue jeans came from? As American as we like to think they are, the genesis of the word jeans (genes) actually comes from Genoa, Italy, where they were first produces. Levi Strauss added indigo, and the rest is history.
• In many of the world\’s languages, the same word means both “blue” and “green.” as primitive cultures looked to nature for color names, they saw the blue of sky and water and the green of foliage and forest as blending into one color family.
• The heaviest use of camel and tan has always been in knits and sweater dressing. But sweaters have a less than glamorous beginning, originating from the practice of blanketing horses in “sweaters” to make them perspire during training sessions.