Trivia: What color is considered the first synthetic pigment?
Raw umber
Burnt sienna
Prussian blue
Cobalt
Correct Answer: Prussian blue
So why is this answer correct? : Prussian blue was accidentally discovered in 1704. The pigment was originally considered a chemical and gained a wide variety of applications: art and fashion, dyeing, and even invisible ink.
Trivia: Where does the color sepia come from?
The ink of a cuttlefish
A chemical byproduct
The ink of a Burned organic matter
Boiled vanilla bean pods
Correct Answer: The ink of a cuttlefish
So why is this answer correct? : The word “sepia” comes from the Greek word for cuttlefish — and that’s where the pigment comes from, too. Cuttlefish spray the reddish-brown ink when warding off predators in the water.
Trivia: Why did the pigment Vantablack make headlines?
For being expensive
For reflecting moonlight
For being the darkest color ever
Because only horses can see it
Correct Answer: For being the darkest color ever
So why is this answer correct? : Vantablack absorbs 99.965% of light, meaning anything painted with the pigment looks completely flat to our eyes.
Trivia: What color’s name means “dark and shining”?
Black
Brown
Blue
Yellow
Correct Answer: Brown
So why is this answer correct? : Ancient tribal cultures in Europe and Asia used the word “bher” to describe something dark and shining. That eventually developed into the Germanic word “brunaz” and then, finally, “brown.”
Trivia: What food product was once required to be dyed pink?
Coca-Cola
Brussels sprouts
Margarine
Maple syrup
Correct Answer: Margarine
So why is this answer correct? : Due to protests from dairy farmers in the 1800s, several states passed laws requiring margarine to be dyed pink as a clear signal to consumers that it wasn’t butter.
Trivia: Which Crayola color was named by a 5 year old?
Razzmatazz
Tumbleweed
Denim
Wisteria
Correct Answer: Razzmatazz
So why is this answer correct? : In 1993, Crayola held a contest to name 16 new colors. Five-year-old Laura came up with the jazzy name for the company’s new rosy-pink hue.
Trivia: What color was considered appropriate for little boys in the 17th century?
Lavender
Brown
Black
Pink
Correct Answer: Pink
So why is this answer correct? : Blue was originally a delicate color appropriate for little girls, while pink was considered the pale version of red, traditionally associated with male careers.
Trivia: Why are school buses yellow?
The paint color is cheap
To make them easier to spot
There is an excess of yellow paint
It’s an unpopular color for cars
Correct Answer: To make them easier to spot
So why is this answer correct? : Our peripheral vision easily spots the color yellow, reducing the risk of an accident.
Trivia: What color was long considered the color of royalty?
Orange
Blue
Red
Pruple
Correct Answer: Pruple
So why is this answer correct? : The use of purple by royals dates back to the Byzantine Empire. Since the dye was exceptionally rare, tailors reserved it for only the wealthiest royal elite.
Trivia: What is the term used for the fear of color?
Chromophobia
Arachnophobia
Claustrophobia
Triskaidekaphobia
Correct Answer: Chromophobia
So why is this answer correct? : Chromophobia is the irrational fear of colors, a condition that can be debilitating for sufferers due to the modern multi-colored world. Some people, however, are only affected by certain colors.