Color Matters Factoids

Factoids - 1999 (and still true)

Natural Blondes Are an Endangered Species

A new book states that natural blondes rely on a recessive gene which is being dominated by darker-haired genes. Kathy Phillips, author of "The Vogue Book of Blondes," explains that migration and open marriages have increased in Scandinavia and Northern Europe, the epicenters of the blond population. Experts point to Africa for the next population expansion. These people will travel and their darker genes will absorb the lighter gene pool.

Phillips predicts that by the time this happens, genetic engineering will allow us to tweak our genes and go blonde anyway.

"Blond Gene is Dying Out" by Lyndsay Griffiths - Reuters, Honolulu Star Bulletin, October 7, 1999

Black rainbow sighting!

Kahuku, Hawaii
Two fisherman reported seeing what looked like a black rainbow arching from the mountain to the ocean at 9:00 P.M. at night

Can a black rainbow occur at night ?

"Moonbows" coincide with a full moon and are the result of light refrating through water droplets in the atmosphere. If the water vapor is in the right place and if the sky is clear, a bright full moon acts like the sun and you will see a rainbow at night.

The rainbow may appear black, but all the colors are there. "It's just that there's no blue sky to paint it against."

Note: This is not a common occurence. The clear skies and moist air of the Hawaiian Islands make this location one of the few places where a "moonbow" can be seen.

"Moonbows only appear to be black," June Watanabe, Honolulu Star Bulletin, August 17, 1999

Green Mice

Scientists reported that feeding mice a special diet of Christmas tree mulch caused the mice to turn green. Well....not exactly. It's not what the mice ate that caused some mice to turn green. They were born with a green gene from a jellyfish. The University of Hawaii research team that cloned mice (Yanagimachi, Perry and Wakayama) has developed a new method of transferring genetic information (DNA) from one organism to another.

The technique called "Honolulu transgenesis" is reported in the May 14 edition of Science.

"UH Green Mice: A medical promise" - by Helen Altonn, Honolulu Star Bulletin, May 13, 1999

"Fall presents orange ad the new "in" color" (1999)

The fall color of "Sunkist" orange is popping up everywhere in fashion. From designer-prophet Helmut Lang's fall collection to Gap vests and Absolut Vodka.*

Why orange? Perhaps it all started with the acceptance of khaki and grey as the new neutrals. Also, one might speculate that orange follows the acceptance of pink in the spring.

*The author of ColorMatters notes that Apple's dazzling new iBook laptop computer is offered in only two colors, blue and orange!

The Dallas Morning News, as reported in the Honolulu Advertiser September 7, 1999

Baa baa blue sheep, have you any wool?

A farmer in Adelaide Australia announced that she has produced the first flock of blue sheep without using dye. The owner, Nancy Follett of Sleaford Bay, said she has bred 100 sheep with fleece ranging from light blue to navy. It took 25 years and several generations of breeding to get a brilliant blue color.

Fool nighttime bugs
If it's summer in your part of the world, use this tip the next time you barbecue or eat outdoors. Place a bug repellent yellow fluorescent light bulb over your table. Place a standard fluorescent bulb at the opposite end of your dining or patio area. Bugs can't see yellow! They'll be drawn to the whiter light away from your table.

Color Revolution
Purple asparagus and red corn?

Brightly colored vegetables are now available in W. Atlee & Burpee's seed catalogue. The red corn is appropriately named "Ruby Queen" and the yellow carrots (absolutely no trace of orange) are named "Sweet Sunshine." How about some "Purple Passion" asparagus? Burpee's phone number is 1-800-888-1447 .

"Vegetables now come brightly colored", Honolulu Star Bulletin April 25, 1999

How do chickens with male hormones eat their colored food?

When chickens were fed male hormones, they pecked at their colored food in different ways. They ate all the red until it was gone, then all the yellow. The other chickens (no male hormones) ate all the different colored food in no order.
Does this provide a clue to multi-tasking abilities of the male species? It all comes back to nerve fibers.
Does this explain why men hate shopping? Too much visual stimulation? Men tend to focus on singular tasks, such as reading the newspaper, and get irritated when interrupted. Wives can't understand why men can't do two things at once.

"Men are from caves, not Mars," by Janet L. Martineau., Newhouse News Service, Honolulu Star Bulletin February 8, 1999

If all things are equal, what makes a product or label catch the consumer's eye?

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Hint: the answer is related to color.

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Second hint: It may be also be something about the surface effect of a color.

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Answer: A metallic look stands out. A survey found that when all things are identical, shoppers chose products with metalized labels by as much as 26.7 percent over similar products with plain-paper labels. For example, pasta sauce 18.5 percent over plain, raspberry water 12.5 percent more and cooking oil 10.5 percent. Note: The study was sponsored by manufacturer's of metalized and coated papers.

Source "All that glitters may be the label" by Judith Schoolman, Honolulu Star Bulletin, October 1997.

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