The Same Exact Shade Can Look Different To Men Than It Does To Women

National Color Day on October 22 gives you a chance to stop and reflect on the relationship we share with the colors that surround us and the innumerable ways in which they impact us.

How long has it been since you stopped by a garden to admire a yellow sunflower, or gazed at the deep blue sky? We invite you to celebrate the power of colors today!

• 1700 – Sir Isaac Newton discovers the visible spectrum of light and studies the impact of color for the first time.
• 1810 – Artist Johann Wolfgang von Goethe explores the psychological aspects of colors and lays the foundation for the color theory.
• 1870 – French photographer Jules Duboscq invents the colorimeter to measure the wavelengths absorbed by a particle.
• 1898 – American painter Alfred Munsell invents the photometer to measure luminance, a.k.a., the color value of an object.
• 2009 – Launched by General Motors in 2009 as a part of a promotion for a brand new Chevrolet, National Color Day has been celebrated ever since.
• We know a lot about colors because Newton decided to experiment with sunlight in his free time. The modern-day color theory is based on Newton’s primary assertion that a prism separates white light into colors.
• The advertising industry reaps great benefits from the color theory, which illustrates our predisposition to some colors. For example, a combination of red and yellow can stimulate our brain — a concept that reflects on the logos of McDonald’s, Netflix, KFC, and Target.
• According to a survey, yellow is the most unpopular color, with a fan base of just 5%.
• According to a study, blue is the world’s most popular color, with 40% of people picking it as their favorite.
• Red is the first color that an infant can see, as it has the longest wavelength.
• The color pink relieves anxiety and stress because of its calming effect and palliative qualities.
• Fixing your gaze on the color yellow can cause nausea, whereas staring at green colors can calm your mind.
• Bulls can’t even recognize the color red, let alone be triggered by it — it’s the movement of the muleta that angers them.
• Rods and cones, the two types of cells inside the human eye, determine what color we see. Wavelengths of a color matter as much as our own absorption of it, because 90% of the color we interpret is based on our memory.
• Color your stress away – Indulging in arts and crafts and painting, in particular, has tremendous benefits. It is more than stroking a brush on paper — painting forces you to connect your body to your mind.
• Color Themed Soundtracks:
  • Sing a Rainbow by Peggy Lee (1955). Featured in the film Pete Kelly’s Blues, this song has been used for decades to teach the colors to children.
  • Yellow Submarine by the Beatles (1966). One of the more unique songs by this iconic British band, this song was written by Paul McCartney and John Lennon as a children’s song and it was featured on a double A-side single with another unique song, Eleanor Rigby.
  • Orange Crush by REM (1988). Ironically released on the band’s album simply titled Green, this song was not commercially released in the US but still became a number one hit. The song was written by lead singer Michael Stipe about the theme of Agent Orange, a chemical agent used during the Vietnam War.
  • Purple Rain by Prince (1984). Created an almost instantaneous cult following, this song was one of the most memorable and iconic songs released by the musician – and it was originally written as a country song.
• Different colors have different meanings:
  • Red:  Excitement – Love – Strength
  • Yellow:  Competence – Happiness
  • Green:  Good Taste – Envy – Relaxation
  • Blue:  Corporate – High Quality – Serenity
  • Pink: Sophistication – Sincerity
  • Violet/Purple:  Authority – Power
  • Brown:  Ruggedness
  • Black:  Grief – Fear
  • White: Happiness – Purity.
• Warm colors seem closer to you than cool colors. Even if they’re painted on the exact same surface, warm colors tend to look closer to us than cool colors do.
• Purple dye was once a rare, expensive luxury. Tyrian purple, the world’s first purple dye, was made from Murex sea snails.
•  The same exact shade can look different to men than it does to women. Research has indicated that women tend to be able to detect subtle differences in shades that men don’t notice.
• Pantone Has Named a Color of the Year Since 1999. The goal was to underscore the connection between culture and color and to connect designers and color enthusiasts around the world.
• “Orange” Used to Be Called “Geoluhread”  meaning “yellow-red.” Once Europeans became acquainted with the sweet, bright citrus fruit, “geoluhread” became “orange.”
• The Color of a Dish Can Influence the Flavor of Food. A study, which was published in the Journal of Sensory Studies, asked participants to sample four cups of hot chocolate: a white cup, a creme-colored cup, an orange cup, and a red cup. The catch? Each cup contained the exact same type of hot chocolate! Participants consistently rated the hot chocolate in the orange and creme-colored cups as being better than the others.
• Some People See More Colors Than Others.  Scientists estimate that the average person can see about one million distinct colors. However, those with tetrachromacy can see about 100 million. Tetrachromats have four types of cone cells (color receptors) in their eyes. Most people only have three.
• There’s a Reason Paint Colors Have Cool Names. One study called “A rose by any other name…” asked participants to rate products with different color names. The researchers found that an interesting name could influence a customer’s perception of a given color.
• You might think that the safest color for a car would be red or another attention-grabbing shade. However, research has continually indicated that white is actually the safest.
• Color has a huge amount of influence over purchasing decisions. Consider these interesting statistics:
  • 85% of shoppers name color as their primary reason for buying a given product
  • In magazines, full-color ads are noticed 26% more often than ads in black and white
  • 66% of people say they won’t buy an appliance if it doesn’t come in their preferred color

Sources:

National Today

Days of the Year

National Day Calendar

Color meanings