Can Certain Colors Attract the Opposite Sex?

Specific colors can attract the opposite sex: true or false? The definitive answer to this question is a mystery. However, the theory that claims certain colors act as magnets for romantic attention is one that is supported by many people’s personal experiences.

Colors are the Best Love Potions

How to attract the opposite sex has been a hot topic throughout the ages. It has also been the subject of many academic and scientific studies. Those who study human behavior are discovering more everyday about the factors that can help individuals attract love interests.

The impact that color has upon sexual attraction is a subject of interest for scientists and laypeople alike. However, while color’s bearing upon attraction is a topic worthy of study, it doesn’t take a scientist to figure out that wearing certain colors can increase one’s sexual attractiveness.

Women and Men are Attracted to Different Hues

Are you ready to begin wearing colors that will attract a romantic partner? If so, it’s important to first understand that, not surprisingly, females and males are sexually attracted to individuals wearing gender-specific colors. Women should consider wearing pink, coral, and peach to maximize attraction from men. These shades may cause men to perceive women as feminine and approachable. For a man, wearing shades of blue may increase a woman’s attraction to him. This is because a man wearing blue is frequently perceived as stable and dependable. Many women also view red as an attractive color for men to wear.

The Magic Color that Garners Attention from Both Sexes

Red is a color that both sexes are equally attracted to. Of all the colors a woman can wear, shades from the red family are usually the most attention-grabbing and attractive of all. Jeremy Nicholson of Psychology Today explains this phenomenon: “The color red triggers a basic, primal response in humans as a signal of sexuality and fertility.” When a man sees a woman wearing red, in many cases his attraction for her increases. According to Nicholson, “When a woman sees a man in red, she instinctively sees him as higher status and is more interested in having sex with him.” It seems that wearing red can help both of the sexes attract romantic partners.

Science is proving that wearing certain colors can increase someone’s sexual desirability. Because of this, single people who desire a mate should consider dressing in colors that will cause them to be perceived as sexually attractive.

What Colors Attract You?

Do you believe there is any validity behind the theory that certain colors can attract the opposite sex? Have you ever noticed that people tend to be more attracted to you when you wear particular colors? What colors most attract you to the opposite sex?

Read more Segmation blog posts about art and color:

Red Artwork is Worth Fortunes

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St. Valentine and the History of Romance

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Technology to Permanently Change Your Hair Color

Blonde. Auburn. Red. Dishwater blonde. Golden brown. Ash brown. Soft black. Dirty Blonde.

Stop for a minute and think about the many hair colors that are all around you. There is such variety of shades and textures.

It’s a stereotype to think women are the only gender to care about hair colors; both men and women consider hair color often. For instance, if a woman is not talking about her own hair color, she is probably describing someone else’s. If a man no longer has a full head of luscious locks, it doesn’t stop him from admiring the hair clad people around him.

Hair color is, whether conscious or not, something we observe often.

Now, two engineers want to have entrepreneurs and investors think about hair color in new ways.

What if you could permanently change your hair color by simply using a flat iron?

Mechanical engineers from The University of New Mexico, Bruce C. Lamartine and Zayd C. Leseman are exploring the idea of “Nano-Patterning of Diffraction Gratings on Human Hair for Cosmetic Purpose.” In other words, they are seeking to find a way to re-pattern a single strand of hair so that it reflects a different color.

In an article published by the University, author Karen Wentworth describes this process:

The use of focused ion beam technologies and the way they can be used to pattern different materials. Their research explores a way to etch diffraction gratings on individual hairs to reflect light in a specific way.

Unlike out-of-a-box hair dyes and creams, pattern etching human hair would provide permanent results. (Unfortunately, the article doesn’t say if the process can color gray hair.) Without applying a special conditioner to the hair, the new color would be a lifelong commitment.

Celebrity Hair Color Craze

News of this experiment couldn’t come at a better time. Hollywood seems obsessed with changing their hair color. But they’re looking for anything besides brunette, blonde, or auburn. Media darlings Ke$ha, Nicole Richie, Kylie Jenner, Katy Perry, and Anna Paquin recently sported blue-dos (http://news.instyle.com/2014/07/24/kesha-blue-hair-tips-photo/).

Alternative Uses for Nano-patterning Technology

Celebrities may be accustomed to getting media coverage for changing their hair color, but it’s far less likely that two engineers would dedicate time and energy to discovering a new, improved, and permanent way to alter a person’s appearance. And the University of New Mexico professors are the first to say that haircare isn’t the only thing this process is good for.

While altering hair color seems to be the most marketable use for the scientific experiment, this discovery may serve additional purposes. Read more about how nano-patterning of diffraction gratings may prevent credit card theft and improve national security: http://news.unm.edu/news/new-technology-allows-hair-to-reflect-almost-any-color.

Currently, Lamartine and Leseman are eager to find funding for their research. If news of a permanent solution to change hair color makes it to celebrities, or if the process can miraculously eliminate grays, it seems chances of funding would be rather high.

Read more Segmation blog posts about color:

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The Blackest Shade of Black

A new shade of black has been discovered, but don’t expect it to show up in the next set of Crayola® crayons. This black is touted as the blackest black. Unlike other colors, this hue is engineered and must be grown from carbon nanotubes. These tubes, which are smaller than strands of human hair, are responsible for soaking up nearly 100 percent of the light that hits them.

Before revealing the man who is responsible for uncovering the shade that is blacker-than-black, let’s discuss the often overlooked relationship between light and color.

The Relationship Between Light and Color

It is shocking to learn that color, as we see it, is not color at all. Items that appear colorful are only perceived this way if white light is present. In order for the human eye to see color, objects must reflect light, absorbing certain waves and resisting others. Depending on what waves are absorbed and rejected, we get particular color. For instance, when light hits an orange, it absorbs all colors of the spectrum except for orange.

At early ages, children learn that black is not a color. This is because black does not need light, like other colors do. Whenever a “black” product is created, like a black crayon or paint, it is always the goal to have it reflect as little light as possible. But not all light can be absorbed.

Even Frederik de Wilde’s blackest black only absorbs 99 percent of light. But this is more than was ever expected or thought possible.

Fathering the World’s Blackest Shade of Black

Frederik de Wilde is an artist and scientist who is dedicated to discovering the darkest shade of black. Some call the hue, “NASA black,” because he partnered with NASA and a team from Rice University to nano-engineer this “color.”

Of his findings, De Wilde says, “Blacker-than-black is necessarily something which exceeds the luminous phenomenon.” Made up of 99.9 percent air and .01 percent carbon, blacker-than-black is what people see when they are essentially looking at nothing. Throughout the research process, as he and the team aimed for a nano-engineering phenomenon, de Wilde realized the process of creating the world’s blackest shade of black was going “beyond zero.” It was doing something that people once thought impossible.

Now that this shade has become a reality, there is much discussion about how it can and will be used.

The Future of Blacker-than-black

NASA is excited about the potential this shade of black offers to “creating hyper-efficient renewable energy.” A Huffington post article elaborates, saying NASA thinks this may lead to the development of invisible technology and may enable telescopes to pier deeper into space.

De Wilde also sees blacker-than-black as having “limitless potential” in the art world, too. He nano-engineers paintings and sculptures with material so black that it seems as if volume vanishes.

The creative, practical and sustainable functions of the world’s blackest shade of black are unique. Not only does it absorb more light than any other color, it is also a breakthrough in areas of art and science. This is a big accomplishment for something that is made of nothing.

Read more Segmation blog posts about art and science:

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Color the Universe… Beige?

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Red and Green are an Unlikely Pair

Entering the holiday season, festive color combinations will soon be everywhere. Pine trees should be adorned with red ribbon and missile toe will layer green leaves upon berries. But in nature, the colors green and red are rarely seen together. This is not because of any earth-wide grudge that exists between the colored pair. The atmosphere seems to want it this way.

Solar Storms and Auroral Contrasts

Earlier this year, a solar storm hovered over the planet. People in regions far north of the equator were able to experience a magnificent sky, bold with color. Aurora Borealis, or Northern Lights, occur when a number of factors line up.

It is common to see auroras feature green waves breaking throughout the sky. This year, however, in New Zealand, one man photographed a red aurora.

Red is said to be a rare shade for aurora lights. Tony Phillips of SpaceWeather.com says, “Red auroras occur some 300 to 500 kilometers above Earth’s surface and are not yet fully understood.” There are some reasons why researchers believe the red aurora is so rare. Philips indicates is may be because, “…red lights may be linked to a large influx of electrons. When low-energy electrons recombine with oxygen ions in the upper atmosphere, red photons are emitted.”

Another reason why red auroras are rare is because it is hard to predict when this natural phenomenon will occur.

Minoru Yoneto photographed the red aurora in New Zealand on Oct. 2, 2013, but most of the time auroras reflect shades of green and sometimes purple.

Travel North to see Auroras

The solar storm that took place in early October could be seen from many parts of the world, including “as far south as Kansas, Ohio and Oklahoma.” Most of the time, seeing Northern Lights requires a person be situated in a northern climate.

An article by CNN states that, “The best chance to see the Northern Lights will be somewhere between 66 to 69 degrees north – a sliver of the world that includes northern Alaska and Canada and bits of Greenland, northern Scandinavia and northern Russia.”

Those who want to see green and red collide may have to travel even further north – this color combination is said to be most prevalent in the North Pole.

Read more Segmation blog posts about Art and Atmosphere:

Light Creates Space, Color, and Perception

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Color the Universe… Beige?

Skies are blue. Clouds are white. The Universe is cosmic latte.

Nature’s color schemes are widely acknowledged and rather predictable. Now there is a color for the Universe as well.

To arrive at this color, astrologers considered the shades of light coming from over 200,000 galaxies. With further analysis, they concluded the Universe was beige. The anticlimactic result led to changing the official name to cosmic latte.

This means color has scientific value and advances human understanding of the universe at large. Now it is clear that color is more than earthly representation of nature, culture, and subjective emotions.

How then can humans determine something as magnificent as the Universe’s color? Might science be wrong? (After all, many of us are still recovering from the Pluto fiasco.)

Who Determines the Color of the Universe?

In 2002, scientists began debating the color of the universe. After leaving a meeting of the American Astronomical Society in Washington, D.C., astronomers from John Hopkins University worked hard to prescribe a color to the heavens.

At first, the John Hopkins team believed the Universe was turquoise. Once they corrected their formula, they discovered the universe was beige. This is somewhat of a letdown for people who prefer to live amongst galaxies shaded in vibrancy, not mediocrity.

How was this Color Determined?

Astronomers concluded that cosmic latte was the color of the Universe after light measurements were taken from more than 200,000 galaxies. These measurements were used to create a spectrum of the Universe. After the sum was calculated, the average optical wavelength of light was figured. In other words, calculating various starlights determined an average color.

What does Color Tell us About the Universe?

Stars are either blue or red, depending on the amount of heat they hold. Since the average color is beige, the universe currently has less blue stars than red. Different from earthly perception, however, these colors are not what they appear: blue indicates a star has a lot of energy and heat, while cooler stars are red.

According to a Daily Mail article, “[the Universe] colour has become much less blue over the past 10 billion years, indicating that redder stars are becoming more prevalent.”

Color may actually be an important factor in understanding the history of the Universe and how our galaxy is constantly changing.

If you could color the Universe, what color would you choose?

Cosmic latte is a creative title for beige. Other titles considered for the Universe color were “Skyvory” and “univeige.” What are your ideas for galaxy color names?

Read more Segmation blog posts about Art and Science:

Art and Science – A Genius Combination

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Color Advances Science

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Art and Science – A Genius Combination

Something very exciting is happening in the world of higher education: The study of art is beginning to be integrated into science-based programs, such as engineering. Whereas engineering has traditionally been studied alone, now universities are creating programs that encompass both art and science. What is the reason for this?

Universities such as Arizona State, Stanford, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology are combining art studies with engineering/science programs to foster creative thinking in students. Because engineers must constantly come up with fresh designs and perspectives, creative thinking is crucially important for them to cultivate.

A doctoral student from Arizona State University commented that engineers commonly make tiny improvements on things that have been previously established, without truly permitting their creativity to “take full force.” She went on to say that artists can help engineers learn to think in a new way, and ultimately unlock their creative potential.

Perhaps the main benefit of studying art along with engineering is the betterment of a student’s creative capacity. However, partaking in such a program offers a student benefits that go beyond an augmented ability to think creatively.  Studying art along with science also benefits engineers by helping them secure employment in today’s tough job market and assisting them in solving complex problems.

Several schools offer interdisciplinary programs of art and science. The University of California – Davis offers an Art/Science Fusion Program; Stanford University provides a “joint” M.F.A. and M.S. program in Product and Visual Design; MIT recently began a center for Art, Science, and Technology; The College of Engineering at the University of California – Santa Barbara “co-hosts” a program (graduate level) in Media Arts and Technology; and Arizona State University provides a graduate degree program in Electrical Engineering with an emphasis in Arts, Media, and Engineering.

The outcomes of the above schools’ educational programs are demonstrating to us that both art and science are taken to the next level of innovation when coupled with one another. What’s more, students’ increased ability to think creatively as a result of these interdisciplinary programs is proving that art and science make a genius combination. 

Sources:

https://asunews.asu.edu/20120516_inthenews_artists_engineers#.T73Ev_i3wzg.mailto

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Color Advances Science

Do you think the words color and science belong next to each other? Does it surprise you to know that colors actually advance science, and makes new discoveries possible?

It is rate to discuss color science because of its vastness in content, as well as its difficult-to-appreciate science related principles. So while putting a pin in the mechanics of color science for a moment, how can we view color as an opportunity to push science forward? Let’s take a look at asteroid Vesta.

Vesta is the second largest formation in the asteroid belt, considered by many scientists now to be a planet. In the past, dimensions considered Vesta to be too large to be an asteroid, but too small to be a planet, Vesta sat undefined in a sort of astrology limbo. All that is beginning to change because of color.

The image above was taken by NASA’s space orbiter Dawn, the first man made craft to orbit around Vesta. Dawn’s framing camera uses near-infrared filters where red, green, and blue represent varying degrees of nanometers. The colors are assigned by scientists and detect the presence of previously unknown mineral and rock types. What this has revealed is a well segregated world of ingredients and layers. The information suggest steep visible spectral slopes and areas of recent landslides that reveal craters and other mountainous regions.

With colors assigned to specific elements, it is now much easier for scientists to detect what lie on asteroids, planets, moons, and other objects floating around in our universe. With this ability of more intricate detection, it is more possible to theorize what went into the development of our solar system and the complex elements that support it.

By spotting water, mineral deposits, and other elements difficult to detect, the use of color has certainly broadened the spectrum of analysis scientists can employ when studying a subject in the vast reaches of space.

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Related articles

• Asteroid Vesta’s ‘Rainbow’ Ingredients Shine in New Image (livescience.com)
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