Chromosphere: The Color Theory Podcast

Discussion of how our perception of blues and greens remain strong in low light, and how that may have impacted the use of lapis lazuli (and other blue pigments) prior to the invention of the electric light bulb.Send us a text

Why did Homer repeatedly describe the color of the ocean as wine-dark in the Iliad and the Odyssey? Could the sky have been purple or violet in the days when Helen and Achilles lived in mythological Ancient Greece? Discussion will focus on the possible ways in which the ocean could have been similar in color to that of a nice Cabernet Sauvignon or Pinot Noir wine.Send us a text

In Zur Farbenlehre  (A Theory of Colours, or, A Doctrine of Colours) of 1810, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe worked to dismiss Newton’s findings of the nature of spectral light and sought a return to Aristotelian views of color. Why no love for Newton? This episode reviews Goethe's theories and how he introduced psychology to the understanding of human color perception.“A great mathematician [Newton] was possessed with an entirely false notion on the physical origin of colour….” - Excerpt from A Theory of Colours.Send us a text

Also known as vibrating colors or scintillating colors. Discussion of the chromostereopsis effect will explore how colors are perceived in 3-dimensional space, even when located on a 2-dimensional picture plane; how reds advance and blues recede. Send us a text

Given the properties of color (hue, value & chroma), do value contrasts  work to form the most effective focal points? This question is addressed in relation to color vision's adaptability to view contrasts in hue and chroma over those of value and brightness. Also, could our vision as babies affect how we perceive value contrasts today?  Send us a text

Have you ever noticed that the color of sunlight changes throughout the year? It is thought that this is due to our shifting perception of a color known as Unique Yellow. Discussion will center on how this phenomenon occurs.Send us a text

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Is black plastic recyclable? Check out the World Economic Forum for more information on how it is recyclable, but rarely recycled. This episode focuses on a  potential color theory explanation as to why it is that black plastic is used frequently as food packaging.Send us a text

A prior version of this episode erroneously stated a connection between Mary Gartside and the writing of Johann von Goethe. This new episode was recorded as a correction and published on April 24, 2023. Mary Gartside was a painter, teacher, and color theorist who lived in England from 1755-1819. More information about Gartside can be found at: The Winterthur Museum's Program in American Material Culture, Sussex Research Online, and Medium.Send us a text

Correction: An earlier version of this episode incorrectly stated the Jacob Christopher Le Blon was the first to identify cyan, magenta, and yellow as the three subtractive primary colors in 1723-26. Le Blon invented three and four color printing, but used red, yellow, and blue as his primaries. It wasn't until 1905 when Thomas A. Lenci of the Eagle Printing Ink Company, in New York City, used cyan, magenta, and yellow as his primaries and the CMYK method was invented. Send us a text