Why Is Blue Rare?

Now widely polled as the most popular color in the world, there was a time in which there was no blue -- at least not the way we see blue now. Sure, the sky and water haven’t changed colors, but without the ability to easily create blue dye or pigments, we had no use for the word “blue.” And it turns out that we need words to identify, think, and talk about things for them to exist in our minds. Journey with Kevin as he tells the strange story of how humans discovered the color blue, which existed right in front of them the whole time. The deeper the blue becomes, the more strongly it calls man towards the infinite, awakening in him a desire for the pure and, finally, for the supernatural... The brighter it becomes, the more it loses its sound, until it turns into silent stillness and becomes white. -Wassily Kandinsky Curiosity Box: Written, Produced, Edited and Hosted by Kevin Lieber Instagram: Twitter: Website: Contributing Researcher & Editor Matthew Tabor, Koala Fight Media VFX by Eric Langlay Select Music by Jake Chudnow Special Thanks Paula Lieber Vsauce2 Links Twitter: Facebook: Website: **** LINKS AND SOURCES **** The Brilliant History of Color in Art by Victoria Finlay Blue: The History Of A Color by Michel Pastoureau Secret Language Of Color by Joann Eckstut and Arielle Eckstut SPECIAL THANKS Virginia Postrel Victoria Finlay Joshua J. Mark Kidmograph Outro Song “I Came Back For You” by Trevor Something ARTICLES Pigments Through The Ages Color In Art Harvard Color Vault Little Snow White A Story Of Blue The Material History of the Color Blue True Blue Stands Out in an Earthy Crowd by Natalie Angier Why Is The Sky Blue? Blue Through The Centuries History Of Blue William Gladstone And The Odyssey No One Could See The Color Blue Until Modern Times by Kevin Loria Why Is Blue The World’s Favorite Color? It’s Not Easy Being Blue (For Plants) by Eric Dillalogue Color Wavelengths The Science Of Blue Flowers First Blue-Eyed Human Humanity’s Favorite Color Color In Market Research What’s Your Favorite Color? Islamic Poetry Starry Night, Edvard Munch Newton And The Color Spectrum Blue And Green Language Distinctions Rainbows In Art True Origin Of Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs STUDIES Russian Blues Reveal Effects Of Language On Color Discrimination Ancient Color Categories Philip Cohen Scott Design Inc. Color Poll ASSETS Namakura Gatana 1917 restoration by sumerias1 Egyptian Blue Eye at The J. Paul Getty Museum Indigo by Shisha-Tom Archaemenid Bowl from David Aaron Lapis Lazuli Eyes photo by Marie-Lan Nguyen Lapis Lazuli Buddha CSIC Indus Valley Diorama by Biswarup Ganguly Rainbows Denim by Nikodem Nijaki Blue Cat The British Museum Woad by H. Zell Lazurite by Didier Descouens Cochineal by Dick Culbert Cochineal by H. Zell Portrait of Edvard Munch from National Library of Norway Tekhelet by Mnavon Pixabay