Blue

May 1, 2021
In 2009, scientist Mas Subraminian discovered a new blue by failing in his attempt to make red. This made headlines in the art world and inspired Bluetiful, a Crayola crayon color. The history of blue in art, culture, and nature seems to be fraught with misunderstanding and missteps, and yet the color is the most popular over time, and still the most elusive. In readily accessible prose, Kupferschmidt, an experienced science reporter, walks readers through intricate material in chapters that describe blue in stones, vision, plants, language, and animals. From the efforts that it took to produce blue pigment for artists from ground lapis lazuli, to genetically modified aniline dye for blue jeans, to the layers of cells that produce the startling colors of butterflies and bird feathers, the complexities are laid out with wonderful diagrams and illustrations in an engaging and approachable manner. Remember the internet meme "what color is the dress"? That is the concept of Color Constancy which the author describes as physics moving to physiology to philosophy. Blue is charming and readable and appropriate for most libraries.

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