Wearing Red = A Competitive Edge in Germ Warfare
June 28, 2008

Bright red protective uniforms for hospital workers or the military and even everyday underwear may someday have powerful germ-fighting properties.

Researchers at the University of California, Davis found a strain of marine bacteria that produces large amounts of red pigment that can color clothing and guard against harmful bacteria. Lab tests showed that most of the dyed fabrics they tested had the ability to kill both E. coli and S. aureus bacteria.

How about a lipstick that creates a barrier to germs! The dye may even be used in makeup as a natural alternative to the pigments used today.

 What’s next? Perhaps we will be able to genetically modify vegetables ... and create a brilliant red tomato that will never be the source of a salmonella outbreak as we know it today.

Source

The Competitive Edge of Red
June 18, 2008

Two years ago the journal Nature published results of a British study showing that teams wearing red have a higher probability of winning than teams wearing blue. Just for the record, this was a very scientific study based on the performance of Olympic wrestlers.

Researchers have just discovered that the red team has a better chance at winning than the blue team in online games. Scientists studied the results of 1,347 games between top teams playing "Unreal Tournament 2004" - a game based on running around and shooting at the avatars of the opposing team. The red teams won 55% of the time.

 Neuroscientist Mihai Moldovan of the University of Copenhagen in Denmark said the reason was most likely that the color red may act as a psychological distractor for men, possibly because men flush and turn red when they're angry.

Am wondering if we could combine the results of the bird study from last week’s blog (below) with this one. Could painting the chest of a male human in the real world give him a competitive edge?

Source

Artificial Colors and Testosterone
June 10, 2008

The colors of a bird’s feathers communicate status and send sexual signals. Unlike humans - who may color their hair to appear more attractive, younger, or otherwise - a bird’s coloration is natural. In other words, the colors of the feathers are the result of physiological characteristics - such as a bird’s hormonal profile. And birds don’t have the ability to bleach or dye their feathers in ways that humans do.

Therefore, it would be safe to assume that if we artificially colored the feathers, this would not change a bird’s behavior or physiological make-up. Think again. A team of scientists artificially colored the chests of male barn swallows with a non-toxic marker to match the darkest, most attractive feathers of males within the population. The experimental coloration didn't just improve the males' looks in the eyes of the females, it actually changed the males' body chemistry. The testosterone levels of the manipulated birds soared in a short period of time. We can't help but wonder why we can't do the same with human hormones ... for higher purposes, of course.

 
Credit: University of Colorado, Boulder)

An earlier study by the same team showed male swallows that were "made over" with darker breast colors bred earlier in the season and fathered more young, and the females that chose them cheated less often with other male suitors.

It's a "clothes make the man" lesson that -- with some caveats -- also applies to human males.

 Source: ScienceDaily (Jun. 3, 2008)

Coloration is Communication
June 3, 2008

What if we humans could change color in the same way that those coffee lids (below) send a signal that the coffee is too hot to handle ? What if we could use color to express our unwillingness to mate, or territorial prerogative, or any stress? In other words, how about some chameleonic human color. 

We know that chameleons have a unique ability to change their skin color to blend in with their surroundings for the purpose of avoiding predators. But research conducted by Devi Stuart-Fox and Adnan Moussalli shows that camouflage is not the entire function. They reported that lizards communicate with each other via changes in their color ... that the color shifts rapidly signal to other chameleons an unwillingness to mate or a desire to seduce or territorial dominance.

Another chameleon experts, Christopher Raxworthy observed the following:

"Males become more brightly marked to advertise their dominance. Females become dark or flash red spots to advertise their hostile response to males or their non-receptive status. Aggressive chameleons may become very dark."

The scientific basis of this ability is a neurological control mechanism that stimulates the pigments to move around and cause the chameleon's skin color to change. Unfortunately, we humans are only able to blush - and uncontrollably at that. What if we could “turn purple with rage” or “green with envy” as our language so colorfully expresses some emotions?

 Source:
How Social Signaling Drives Chameleon Color Change

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Award-winning Smart Color
May 26, 2008

In the midst of an excess of color-coding, here’s one that really works and it even won an award. It’s the color changing coffee cup lid that alerts consumers their coffee may be too hot by its bright hot red color. As the coffee cools, the lid turns a safe brown.

Yes, great coffee deserves great – and smart - packaging. Yes, color matters in packaging and this lid goes far beyond the idea of great design. It FUNCTIONS! In fact, Smart Lid Systems, the inventors of the disposable color changing coffee lid, have been awarded the 'Best of Show' AmeriStar Packaging Award, which is considered the Oscars® of the packaging industry.

Your daily coffee can now be a more colorful experience as you watch it morph to bright red then change back to a dark brown as it cools.

What Your Car Color Says About Your Psyche
People whose car color is red have confidence that is 8% below average!
May 14, 2008

Just when we thought there was no terrain left for the tiresome topic of “What Your Favorite Color Says About You,” an automotive color-coding poll presents some unusual findings about what your car color says about your psyche.

The results of the survey reveal the degree of mood swings and the confidence of the car owner. For example, black, dark blue or silver reflects personalities with consistent moods. Emerald green and yellow correlate with people with the most pronounced mood swings.

As the owner of a new silver Scion XD, my color choice was based on the availability of colors and resale value. Frankly, I’d agree with others that this survey is full of faulty logic.

However, you might use the findings to cast some light on whether your lawyer is worth the $300 hourly fee and whether you should get out of the way of that emerald green car that fills your rearview mirror.

USNews Source

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