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Articles on Colors

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It’s disconcerting to think the way two people perceive the world might be totally different. Mads Perch/Stone via Getty Images

Do you see red like I see red?

Neuroscientists tackling the age-old question of whether perceptions of color hold from one person to the next are coming up with some interesting answers.
On the morning of Sept. 9, San Franciscans woke up to a transformed cityscape. AP Photo/Eric Risberg

Why San Francisco felt like the set of a sci-fi flick

The eerie San Francisco skyline evoked sci-fi movies for a reason. Filmmakers are increasingly using color grading to tinge their films with two hues, orange and teal, to unsettle viewers.
Kamala Harris wore white for a reason during her victory speech. AP Photo/Andrew Harnik

How white became the color of suffrage

Being the media-savvy women that they were, suffragists realized they needed to come up with a meaningful, recognizable brand.
Researchers studied whether subtly being exposed to different colors could change tipping behavior. Anutr Yossundara/Shutterstock.com

Want better tips? Go for gold

Studies show a weak relationship between tip amounts and quality of service. But the color gold seems to have a way of making diners feel wealthier – and more generous.
Some believe the color pink can calm unruly inmates. Others say it’s a form of humiliation. Mohd KhairilX/Shutterstock.com

Can pink really pacify?

Famously feminized by the Nazis – and later used in prison cells to limit aggression in inmates – the color pink toes a shaky line between social psychology and gender stereotyping.
Zebrafish are known for their black and gold stripes. NICHD/flickr

How the zebrafish got its stripes

Zebrafish are known for their black and gold stripes, but researchers are still figuring out how pigment cells interact to form these patterns.
Everyone sees them all, but we don’t all give them the same distinct names. lazyllama/Shutterstock.com

Languages don’t all have the same number of terms for colors – scientists have a new theory why

People across the globe all see millions of distinct colors. But the terms we use to describe them vary across cultures. New cognitive science research suggests it’s about what we want to communicate.

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