How To Accidentally Invent A Color

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One of the most colorful accidents in history, malaria, and...genetically engineered bacteria?! These are all part of the story behind the color purple. Maren Hunsberger travels through time in London to follow the thread of purple's story from ancient plants to the industrial revolution, and all the way to a lab growing microbes that could just save the world's water.
Fascinating Fails tells the stories of accidents in history that have resulted in some of our biggest discoveries, inventions, and breakthroughs. Following those often jaw-dropping (and sometimes hilarious) fails through time to today, host Maren Hunsberger asks: "What's next?". By talking to today's innovative young scientists, engineers, artists, and other big thinkers, we see how the mistakes of the past are leading us into the science of tomorrow...and toward a better future.
Original Production Funding Provided by National Science Foundation - Grant No. 2120006 Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.
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[@pbsterra]

Hey Terrans! Well, it wouldn’t be ‘Fascinating Fails’ without a fail in the first episode! We want to clarify that when the name of the chemical 'aniline' appears onscreen at 4:48 (and repeats at 11:56), we’ve accidentally misspelled it as ‘analine’ in the text onscreen. The more you know!

[@dasstigma]

"Mammals can't do blue or purple." What's with the blue irises of multiple mammals?

[@gunjanshah4844]

​@@dasstigmathe same reason as why the sky is blue.

[@dasstigma]

@@gunjanshah4844 Mammals are creating the sky? Oo

[@musewinter9369]

​@dasstigma my eyes are blue because they are colorless and I have microstructures in my iris and thats why I have blue eyes

[@HotelPapa100]

@@dasstigma And the mandril's nose. I can see structural color in an iris, but skin?

[@snowballeffect7812]

This series is very important. So many kids are taught to be afraid to be wrong and make mistakes. The problem isn't making mistakes, it's not learning from the mistakes!

[@AutoReport1]

Murex dye is processed with urine and sunlight. It starts as yellow and eventually changes to indigo after exposure to sunlight. The color range is bright red, purple, indigo. Since the snail itself is purpura, any of these colors were described as purple dye.

[@yawninggap2328]

That is right. So the story here is interesting but the invention is about chemistry not ‘being the first purple dye’.

[@scaper8]

I know that it wasn't the focus of the episode, but when you were talking about light and mentioned that light has "violet" and not "purple," I wish you'd given a quick overview of just what the difference is for those who don't know. For those people, "violet" is the color with a higher frequency and a shorter wavelength than blue ("ultraviolet" then is "above" (has more energy and a higher still frequency) than even "violet"). "Purple," on the other hand, isn't even a real color. It's just what our brains come up with to explain what we're seeing when both the red and blue cone cells in our eyes are stimulated at the same time.

[@katherineweber8955]

Oh! That's interesting.

[@jimurrata6785]

"wavelength" ... Waves have both frequency and amplitude. Violet has a higher *_frequency_* (ripples closer together) therefore a _shorter_ wave _length_ And for a given energy those waves are going to have *less **_amplitude_* (height) I realize this sounds pedantic, but this is supposed to be a science channel, and 'technically' correct is the best kind of correct.. 🤪 We live in a four dimensional universe. Long/short, high/low, far/close and time

[@scaper8]

@@jimurrata6785 Damn, thanks. For some reason, I always seem to transpose frequency and wavelength. LOL

[@ImBalance]

This channel consistently makes really engaging videos on topics I hadn't realized I wanted to learn about. Thank you PBS Terra!

[@RevShifty]

Right? Most everything I wear is black or gray, so this isn't something I would've watched if it were anyone else. But it was them, so I not only watched it, but was entertained and educated the entire time.

[@JeffreyFlory]

PBS - Be Smart has a great episode that goes indepth about how the blue optical illusion animals use works. You could link that episode "Why Blue is so Rare in Nature" for anyone that is interested in diving deeper on that topic. Awesome job on this video!!

[@DawnDavidson]

Yes! I thought of that video too. An excellent one. 😊

[@Its_another_bird]

This was incredible across the board! Loved every bit of it, and I really hope you all make more episodes!

[@MattHeron]

This was so great!! Loved it! Maren is very engaging! Can’t wait to see what else is in store!! ❤

[@Trask899]

I loved the freestyle type shoots with the backstage and creative ways to introduce the mega talented team on this. I loved the flow, the creative energy and how informative it was. Maren is an amazing host/director and she clearly has a fantastic team matching her energy which can’t be easy to do

[@ttopero]

I love purple and only knew a tiny bit of its rarity. Keep up the great work to reframe what it means to “fail”!

[@coffeetablesex]

Failure is the road that leads to success.

[@ttopero]

@@coffeetablesex what does success lead to?

[@D4NC3Rable]

I loved every part of this mini documentary video!! Twice I started watching it (first time I got interrupted) and immediately was absolutely CAPTIVATED, something about the style and the writing & the topic combined is just so compelling. First time I've seen this channel but I can already tell ya'll are making something really special here, it feels very companionable and casual, easy to understand while being scientific and accurate, a rare & really cool combination. I didn't know about the difference between pigment and dyes, and every time I am reminded of how color works I am astonished all over again. I want to add an interesting note on the topic of cochineal that I learned from another documentary here on youtube: Cochineal dye is an ancient traditional dye that is safe for us and for the environment; the rise of extreme vegan ideologies (excluding honey and bugs etc from the vegan consumer list) almost obliterated the centuries-long trade, something that was done with good intentions but was not very wise or discerning and had devastating results. Now cochineal production is rising in demand once more, which is wonderful, because it is safe and renewable source of red, orange & purple dyes (that you can also eat!), an alternative to the here-mentioned coal-byproducts which can cause cancer, AND it helps indigenous people from South America where the bug is from thrive on a traditional livelihood while keeping the cochineal bugs & the cactus they eat from going extinct.

[@relwalretep]

Using bacteria to manufacture dyes is a fascinating approach, really hope it works out commercially at scale.

[@marybenson9418]

This is so fun and informative. I love the pace, format and presenter! Very cool!!!!

[@SethinaWatson]

Great show! Loved it. Maren, you are fabulous. Can't wait to see more episodes

[@Texas40years]

A quote that I read in a book that exemplifies "happy accidents" - Most scientific progress is not moments of "Eureka" (as in 'that is what I wanted') but rather "That's funny. It wasn't supposed to do that"

[@morgan0]

part of the benefit of modifying microbes into lil chemical factories is that enzymes are basically extremely specific catalysts for reactions. instead of needing a ton of other chemicals for just the right catalyst, some protecting groups, bonding one thing to a very specific ion so it leaves correctly, etc, which could require the use of more harmful substances as nothing else works or works well, an enzyme or set of enzymes can accomplish the same task without a ton of extra chemicals by being very selective catalysts for the reaction you want. and making microbes build it uses the machinery of life for what it’s good at: making proteins.

[@hacked2123]

Such a pleasant suprise to see a new video with Maren in it!!!

[@bunnybunnydumpling]

Taking a point from beginning right through to the future and potential developments, what a succinct way to give an overview of quite a lot of information!

[@lalah9481]

Great show! I hope y’all follow up on where fails get to and any issues that are discovered.

[@STEMedia]

Awesome video - love the show's concept too!

[@perrydowd9285]

Purple or (violet if you like), was around long before diazo dyes sister. He nearly discovered antibiotics that same night, but it took years to figure out how useful Grignard reagents can be.

[@sweepingtime]

I love that the memorial to Sir Perkins is purple.

[@zerokenshi]

Love it, for some reason I'm getting Mark Rober vibes.

[@lindean2013]

This was so cool! Awesome! I don’t mind the format and this is definitely a show I’ll keep an eye out for new episodes!

[@amykefauver5512]

Wow -- the energy and enthusiasm are compelling! The facts are so interesting, and the approach of investigating science mistakes is refreshing. I would think that the possibility of making more discoveries from initial errors would be encouraging to budding scientists! I'm looking forward to the other episodes!

[@cob571]

this semi behind-the-scenes format is pleasantly surprising! not sure about doing it for every episode, but right here, right now, i love it!

[@PhoebeFayRuthLouise]

Excellent video! I love the color purple and this was fascinating to learn!

[@mwhomesteads]

That jumper is the best thing I've seen on YT all year!

[@67comet]

Hay! I haven't seen you in a video for ages! Fun episode, and it is nice to see you on PBS again..

[@spoonters]

Really Great! Cant wait for the next episode.

[@swiftycortex]

SpaceTime shared this show, so here I am. What a great show. Thank you

[@TheCronesEye]

Purple has been my favorite color since I was 12. I’m now 70, & still wear & love the color. 💜☮️😉

[@piperdude82]

Be smart sent me! Also, I'm so excited to see Maren in a new series! She's one of my favorite science communicators.

[@OvertheRiverandThroughtheWoods]

Love the history angle! Keep up the great work.

[@tomholroyd7519]

I would be really nice if people put more papers on the arXiv describing the things that don't work. So we don't have to waste time replicating failure.

[@zivauri]

Yes, Brilliant! That would make a big contribution! There should be a book, because people would make connections in their minds and invent new things ! And new ways to protect from pollution and danger of old technologies.

[@polychoron]

Cool, I remember doing the survey pretty recently, glad it had an impact! I love this episode, but I want to learn how to sustainably harvest Violet without killing anyone.

[@anandkalra]

Appreciate the depth here! Thank you

[@suzannebenson7238]

Love this. So clear and concise. Fascinating!

[@RaDeus87]

Cochineal, aka E120, is the color of in my favorite candy (Malaco Zoo). Such a weird thing you learned as a kid, you either got disgusted or shrugged and ate some more. I think the coating was schellack (E904) as well, so the candy had two flavours if bugs in it 😅

[@PaulsPubAndBrew]

She is a great host! Energetic, entertaining, interesting, and even took the time to grab some violet earrings and even eye shadow.

[@Robert_Herring]

Very informative video. It's great to see Maren as host for this series, and so appropriate that the first video had bacteria at the end.

[@WorldofKlown]

The most recent pigment from 2009 YInMn Blue, or "MasBlue" as it is commonly referred to at Oregon State University, is a serendipitous discovery of a bright blue pigment by scientists led by Mas Subramanian at OSU while researching materials for electronics applications. The pigment contains the elements Yttrium, Indium, Manganese, and Oxygen.

[@tangojuli209]

Fascinating! Purple is my fav color. A lot of 'didn't knows' here. In gemstones there are lots of natural purples. Charoite, amethyst, sugilite, some tanzanite, phosphosiderite and more.,

[@brainwater]

Now i wish I'd kept track of that sample of purple mold i found in my sink.

[@GenevieveKahrilas]

So, the explanation of color in this video isn't quite right! Our eyes can also see purple when a chemical absorbs yellow light (the contrary color on the color wheel); one molecule like this is anthocyanin, found in purple cabbage. Our eyes can also see purple if a material reflects red and blue light, or if it absorbs a bit of green and orange (the contrary colors on the color wheel). Color is cool!!

[@LauraKramp-g3v]

So fascinating!!!

[@ChrissiX]

Great start.

[@JoePolaris]

Interesting report, PBS Space Timer shared this Channel.

[@jakebyday]

Really love the editing and personality

[@MatthewCaban]

Such an interesting topic. Thanks for sharing

[@slippers4eve4]

Amazing video! This tickles both my scientific and artistic interests

[@failing_gracefully]

What a well scripted, thought out and executed piece!

[@jaymacpherson8167]

Thank you for sharing the origin of synthetic and bioengineered purple, as purple became my favorite color half-way through my scientific career.

[@connecticutaggie]

The color you discussed are all organic and those are great as long is you do not want to heat them BUT if you want colored things that can get very hot (like your dishes), you have to take a different approach and (mostly) that approach is metal oxides. Many people recognize the green of copper oxide or the red of iron oxide but did you know that iron oxide can be yellow, orange, red, brown, and black depending on the ratio of iron and oxygen atoms. Also, there is a tungsten oxide that makes a very nice violet/purple. And, yes, these are real colors not fake ones.

[@j.rileyindependentproductions]

Question... how did someone in the British Empire "invent" something, in this case the color purple, that was used often in Roman times (2000+ years prior) as a symbol of imperial authority and status?

[@IanMacMoore]

I didn’t know about this dye story, thanks! The Cradle to Cradle authors started out in textile factory process remediation, so it makes sense.

[@neiloppa2620]

Correction for 7:21 some humans with genetic mutations or specific illness can make Violet/ purple color for example porphyria resulting in purple urine.

[@beansoup6785]

13:15 dog was the star of the show

[@realzachfluke1]

This was outstanding, and brilliantly done in every way. Whoever those people were, asking for videos about science mistakes, y'all just keep up the good work lol.

[@MonsteraMami]

Super interesting! Thanks for this video.

[@disnecessaurorex4908]

Very cool video! 💜 PBS Spacetime sent me here

[@bobm3477]

I still get blue and purple mixed up. Recently I make a comment on a nice blue color and my 5 year old granddaughter said I thought that was purple but you would know better. I had to admit that I didn't.

[@katherineweber8955]

This was fascinating. Thank you. So glad you mentioned those poor snails. Glad we don't use them any more.

[@grassfolk]

I knew purple deserved my appreciation

[@TheMaskedGamer]

This is awesome. I'm really looking forward to more!

[@yensid4294]

Carmine (cochineal) is still used in food & cosmetics altho it has somewhat fallen out of favor due to animal cruelty concerns/veganism. The Spanish brought it back from The New World. Sea snails were actually farmed in certain coastal areas of North Africa & the mediterranean. Tyrian Purple was highly prized. Depending on *your* idea of what "purple" looks like, it could vary from deep blue to almost red. The ancients used ammonia via urine in their dye processing if memory serves. As a painter I have noticed that finding paints that contain their original pigment compositions is difficult and/or expensive since most of these substances contained lead & other heavy metals. Synthetic s have replaced most of the old formulas. But they are still marketed as Lead White, Cobalt Blue, Rose Madder, Red Ochre, Cadmium Red & Yellow, Chromium Oxide Green, etc. The history & science of color, dyes & pigments is very interesting. The first colors humans used to adorn themselves & cave walls were black, white, red & yellow. Which makes sense considering the natural ingredients they had access to(red ochre, charcoal, chalk, yellow ochre) plus animal fat/blood.

[@StarLightNow]

Loved this! More please :)

[@Tippex114]

Excellent entrance by Lucy there. Look forward to more mistakes from history!

[@hankvandenakker4271]

VERY WELL DONE. THANX

[@tgbluewolf]

The idea of using bacteria to make pigments sounds cool, but why do I get the feeling that it could be easily used to mess up the soil...?

[@kreadapelu8813]

Ohhh thank you. People think I’m a lunatic when I say things like “leaves are not green” or “I’m wearing a not red shirt.” Like, c’mon man. I’m not crazy. We see the colors things are not.

[@Wizardboz]

Interesting filming techniques. I like it:)

[@djapothecary]

Your leopard print is awesome 👍

[@drain_001]

Welcome back Maren, us Seeker fans missed you :)

[@LofiLoops13]

Great Job Maren!!!! You’re famous now!!! -Jayce

[@samsongihoul3298]

I really find this amazing, I just don't beleive it should be sold as a more 'environmental' option, but simply as an other option. Now I agree that the making of pigment based from synthetic dye might use more rescourses to acheive, but the risks of having a genetically modified bacteria that leaks from a lab could be just as catastrophic to an environment. This said I'm totally for finding 'other' ways of making colors, I think this one is great, I also think that aniline can also be a great pigment, but there needs to be more regulations on the waste products.

[@jenspettersen7837]

I was confused by why purple was such an impressive thing, because that's just to mix red and blue dye, however violet is quite a different thing.

[@SshadykK]

i understand we have to go at the speed of the slowest in the class, but its a wee bit gauling it being constantly asummed that i didn't pay attention. in primary school history

[@blanerobinson6459]

Great episode. But check out mandrills. These mammals produce a beautiful blue in their skin.

[@ponyote]

Woo! Love this new show.

[@leannevandekew1996]

Maren is a doppelganger for Josephine Skriver, fashion model.

[@aikanae1]

Was that pigment or dye produced?

[@jerseyboyce1]

did he taste the purple he created? i bet he tasted it that was huge in chemistry then.

[@by9767]

This was great. I love the asides and how the larger political and environmental factors are considered. So fun!

[@a.dsadventure6710]

This was so awesome 💜

[@evilotis01]

hate to be that guy, but Australia is free of malaria and was during the heyday of the British empire, too

[@LesDexia13]

Violet and purple are not similar. Violet is a "pure" color that occupies a specific range of the light spectrum but purple is a compound color that is a mixture of red and blue.

[@storkbreath]

You have to assume that textile companies will dump live bacterial cultures into rivers.

[@craigmerkey8518]

Wow ! Sorry totally off topic! Were you in the App Avo?

[@IngridBrohim]

Loved it!

[@IndigenousUndergroundPrimate]

I accidently invented a color one time. Then I flushed it down.

[@StripeyType]

And now I know how to pronounce "cochineal" also! Thanks friends!

[@Autepify]

its funny how early chemistry was just mix some stuff together and see what happens

[@carmamd]

So cool!

[@jakegordz101]

Are there any non animal natural sources of purple dye?

[@LinKueiDragon]

Purple isn't a fake colour. It's entirely natural. Some flowers, birds, fish, and other animals, the Rainbow, sunsets and sunrises, and other things can have purple. It wasn't man-made by any way. Not a single colour in history was man-made.

[@douglasboyle6544]

Hey it's Maren!

[@ginnyjollykidd]

No, no, no! Colors are not invented. Greeks did not say there was no color blue and Norse did not say there was no orange. And I know that there are blue violets, the ones that grew in my yard when I was a child were real purple. Purple, as the violet in the rainbow, are at a spectrum wavelength of 380nm from peak to peak. This is not made up. This is not a blue wavelength mixed with the red wavelength of the next rainbow as a double rainbow. Yes, rainbows are diffractions of white light. But because we cannot see most of the light in white light, there is a distance between the primary diffraction and secondary diffraction, so visible light spectra from the same light source cannot overlap. If you see purple, you are seeing the real deal. The reason pigments look purple is because the pigment absorbs ALL the visible light EXCEPT purple. That's why plants are green. Chlorophyll absorbs all but green wavelengths of visible light. Pigments can be "invented," that is a person can fool around with compounds that will reflect the color you are looking for, but colors themselves-the wavelengths of light cannot be created. Now if you can't see violet or indigo, I can't help if you're colorblind. I can see vivid purple myself very well. As for the cones on our retinae, the two kinds we have (red, blue, and green) have different sensitivities to any one wavelength of light. These receptors send the brain signals about the wavelengths, and the brain assembles them into the concept of a color that most of our species define the same way. We perceive wavelength 380 nanometers different ways, and the brain interprets them as purple. But no matter how we perceive them-none of us can see ultraviolet but I it's there and science uses it- we perceive them in the same way as each other. But violet/purple has always existed, orange has always existed, and blue has always existed. And you can't invent color. Don't confuse people with semantics.

[@Hunt_or_Die]

The Roman Praetorian guard, in addition to the Emperor and his family, only the Guards had the right to use “imperial purple” as the distinctive color of clothes and accessories of equipment.

[@TheJohtunnBandit]

Cool topic, can't finish bc the shaky cam is making nauseous