Skip to content
general-news — Entertainment — Health-and-wellness — Fitness-and-exercise — Lifestyle — Technology — Science — Space-and-astronomy

The origination of orange hue: Unraveling its past

Reviewing Past Highlights from Our Publication: A Hue, A Fruit, A Butterfly's Wingspan, A Sunburst on Stone

,   and  Administrator
3 min read
Reflecting on tales from our publication, both in written and illustrated form. The subject might...
Reflecting on tales from our publication, both in written and illustrated form. The subject might refer to a hue, a food, a delicate insect's wing, or a brief glint of light reflecting off a stone.

The origination of orange hue: Unraveling its past

On a balmy spring night beneath the Queensland sky, we gather 'round a crackling fire, surrounded by laughter and the faint echo of barks. As the fire dances with its warm orange glow, it creates an atmosphere of tranquility that slows the world for a moment. This hue holds more than just aesthetic charm; for anthropologist Polly Wiessner, it ignited the spark for human storytelling.

Sitting around campfires, our ancestors found solace and inspiration. Wiessner observed in her research with the Ju/'hoansi that stories, woven in night's comfortable cloak, fostered understanding, trust, and creativity – qualities that might have been nurtured as early as 200,000 to 300,000 years ago, when evidence for broader interactions among human groups begins to emerge in the archaeological record[1].

With modern technology, researchers like Andy Needham have uncovered evidence that the flickering of fire brought not only our tales to life but also the art they inspired. Engravings dating back to the Upper Palaeolithic period in France suggest that these artistic works were displayed near fires, their figures transformed and animated by the dance of firelight[2].

But despite its impact on human culture, the birth of orange as a distinct color in the English language is a relatively recent event. English speakers once referred to orange objects as "yellow-red" until the arrival of the fruit itself[3]. It wasn't long before the name of the fruit lent itself to the color, making its connection with the Earth's vibrant, fiery hues permanent.

Back in the cosmos, long before stars or fiery flames painted the night sky, orange reigned as the earliest color to take form. In the first moments after the Big Bang, the universe was bathed in a melody of colors, with orange-white hues filling the fledgling cosmos[4]. The cool glow of this ancient fire ignited our imagination and continues to inspire awe in our present-day universe, from the James Webb Space Telescope's glimpses of distant galaxies to the fiery beauty of Australian fritillary butterflies on the cusp of extinction.

So, as the night deepens, and the moon ascends to stake its claim on the canvas of darkness, remember the power of a simple hue: orange, the roadmap to our past, the foundation of our stories, and a testament to the ever-expanding canvas of human creativity.

References:[1] Wiessner, P. (2014). The impact of the use of fire on the cognitive development of human evolution. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

[2] Needham, A., Hrovat, J., & Hamilton, S. (2022). Art by Firelight: The Ancient History of the Use of Fire in the Display and Interpretation of Upper Palaeolithic Mobile Art. PLoS ONE.

[3] Kastan, D. S., & Farthing, S. (2018). On color. Yale University Press.

[4] Koberlein, B. (2019, January 16). When Did the FirstColors Appear in the Universe?: Ask an Astrophysicist. Space.com.

  1. The influence of fire, a symbol of health-and-wellness and warmth, in our early human history extended beyond mere warmth as it sparked the genesis of science and storytelling.
  2. In the realm of environmental-science, the Big Bang ushered in a cosmic melody of colors, with orange-white hues emerging as the earliest colors in the universe, beatifying the infant cosmos.
  3. With the advent of technology, advancements in space-and-astronomy have revealed the stunning orange-white beauty of distant galaxies captured by the James Webb Space Telescope, mirroring the creation's very first glow.
  4. In the vein of lifestyle and self-development, the English language's journey from yellow-red to the singular hue of orange highlights the profound impact of education-and-self-development on shaping a culture's linguistic identity.
  5. As widely-consumed entertainment media drafts stories centered on the exploration of our past and the mysteries of space-and-astronomy, one can't help but be fascinated by the power of orange, the vibrant guiding light that weaves together our collective human narrative.

Read also:

    Related

    Latest