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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June 1, 2021

Kupferschmidt, a science journalist, takes a deep look at the color blue, which has fascinated humans for millennia. He meets a chemist in Oregon who has created the first new shade of blue in two centuries, then dives into the history of the human attraction to blue. It starts with ancient Egyptians, who buried their pharaohs with lapis lazuli stones and were the first to perfect the creation of blue shades in ceramics. Kupferschmidt also explains how the human eye perceives blue: the arrangement of atoms in a substance causes some light wavelengths to be absorbed. Most of the blue seen in nature, on birds and flowers, is reflected back to the eye after reds and yellows have been absorbed by the atoms in the object being seen. Kupferschmidt explains these phenomena in detail and examines the evolution of the color blue. He visits a Japanese company that is trying--unsuccessfully, so far--to breed a blue rose, and examines linguistics studies that account for variations in names for blue across cultures. Vivid photographs enhance the text. VERDICT Beautifully written, the book explains science in an entertaining fashion and will appeal to anyone drawn to the colors of nature.--Rachel Owens, Daytona State Coll. Lib., FL

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