4 ms·

> The secret behind the vivid blue coloration of our tarantula lies not in the presence of blue pigments, but rather in the unique structure of their hair, whic

> The secret behind the vivid blue coloration of our tarantula lies not in the presence of blue pigments, but rather in the unique structure of their hair, which incorporates nanostructures that manipulate light to create this striking blue appearance Cool!

bradrn 3y ago
It’s actually surprisingly common. For instance, butterflies and peacocks also use this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Structural_coloration https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Structural_coloration (In fact, I’m pretty sure I read somewhere that only a handful of blue pigments exist in nature; the vast majority of blue animals and plants use structural colouration instead. Can’t recall where I saw it, though.)
- perihelions 3y ago
  If I'm not mistaken, thin-film anodization one more example of this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anodizing https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anodizing - "Anodic films can also be used for several cosmetic effects, either with thick porous coatings that can absorb dyes or with thin transparent coatings that add reflected light wave interference effects. [...] The colour [sic] formed is dependent on the thickness of the oxide (which is determined by the anodizing voltage); it is caused by the interference of light reflecting off the oxide surface with light travelling through it and reflecting off the underlying metal surface." There's one more example in metallurgy I don't remember the name of: where you can get metals to spontaneously form color gradients by heating them in a specific way. Like, there's a thermal gradient, and that somehow translates to an oxidation-thickness gradient, which makes a rainbow. (?)
- DontchaKnowit 3y ago
  There is work currently being done to turn this idea into a usable paint : https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adf7207 https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adf7207
- ChatGTP 3y ago
  Something can be both common and amazing ? I find the blue sky one of these common yet amazingly beautiful phenomena.
  - InSteady 3y ago
    No one said otherwise. One can add context without invalidating the statement they responded to.
    - ChatGTP 3y ago
      Ok then, fair enough.
gonzo41 3y ago
Structural color is really amazing. Same thing on the wings of Christmas beetles that gives them a blue green oil slick look. I'm waiting for a paint company to come out with this for house painting. 1 coat for life.
jjtheblunt 3y ago
that's what Iridigm displays use (acquired by Qualcomm in 2004): https://www.qualcomm.com/news/releases/2004/09/qualcomm-acquire-display-technology-innovator-iridigm https://www.qualcomm.com/news/releases/2004/09/qualcomm-acqu...
- fractallyte 3y ago
  And now apparently owned by... Apple! https://appleinsider.com/articles/15/12/15/apple-has-taken-over-qualcomms-imod-mirasol-display-lab-in-taiwan https://appleinsider.com/articles/15/12/15/apple-has-taken-o...
permo-w 3y ago
what is the difference between that and what pigment does?
- saltcured 3y ago
  If you ground a structural color material down into a dust, it would no longer produce the same color effects anymore. By contrast, pigments and dyes have their absorption at the molecular level and would only lose their effect if you modified their chemical bonds. With structural color, the substances themselves do not have this spectral absorption characteristic. Instead, very specific configurations are needed to produce different effects. Imagine microscopic arrays of prisms and mirrors. Also, structural colorization is often very angle-dependent. The iridescence of flowers, feathers, etc. comes from this characteristic. At different angles of incidence of light reflecting to an observer, different colors become visible. Pigments do not do this. Also, I think there may be differences in usage of these terms between physicists, chemists, and biologists. While writing this, I also realize I am not sure if the terms become ambiguous for relativelt inert, microscopic crystals. From a physics standpoint, I think the crystals may exhibit structural color and pigment effects. From a practical standpoint, they might behave a little more like a pigment in that you could have what seems a fine dust and mix it into paint. But, if you dissolved it to separate the crystals back into free molecules, it would then only exhibit the pigment effects.
  - johnyzee 3y ago
    Apparently, structural color is also a lot more vivid (in the paint example, it reflects back almost 100% of the light, vs. 50% for pigment).
    - aragonite 3y ago
      If it reflects back 100% of the incident light, it wouldn't have a blue appearance, would it?
      - deleted 3y ago
        [deleted]
deleted 3y ago
[deleted]
Schattenbaer 3y ago
Reminds me of when Lexus also used nanostructures to create their "structural blue" https://newsroom.lexus.eu/natures-brillance-captured---new-lexus-structural-blue/ https://newsroom.lexus.eu/natures-brillance-captured---new-l...

bradrn 3y ago

It’s actually surprisingly common. For instance, butterflies and peacocks also use this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Structural_coloration https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Structural_coloration (In fact, I’m pretty sure I read somewhere that only a handful of blue pigments exist in nature; the vast majority of blue animals and plants use structural colouration instead. Can’t recall where I saw it, though.)

perihelions 3y ago
If I'm not mistaken, thin-film anodization one more example of this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anodizing https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anodizing - "Anodic films can also be used for several cosmetic effects, either with thick porous coatings that can absorb dyes or with thin transparent coatings that add reflected light wave interference effects. [...] The colour [sic] formed is dependent on the thickness of the oxide (which is determined by the anodizing voltage); it is caused by the interference of light reflecting off the oxide surface with light travelling through it and reflecting off the underlying metal surface." There's one more example in metallurgy I don't remember the name of: where you can get metals to spontaneously form color gradients by heating them in a specific way. Like, there's a thermal gradient, and that somehow translates to an oxidation-thickness gradient, which makes a rainbow. (?)
DontchaKnowit 3y ago
There is work currently being done to turn this idea into a usable paint : https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adf7207 https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adf7207
ChatGTP 3y ago
Something can be both common and amazing ? I find the blue sky one of these common yet amazingly beautiful phenomena.
- InSteady 3y ago
  No one said otherwise. One can add context without invalidating the statement they responded to.
  - ChatGTP 3y ago
    Ok then, fair enough.

gonzo41 3y ago

Structural color is really amazing. Same thing on the wings of Christmas beetles that gives them a blue green oil slick look. I'm waiting for a paint company to come out with this for house painting. 1 coat for life.

jjtheblunt 3y ago

that's what Iridigm displays use (acquired by Qualcomm in 2004): https://www.qualcomm.com/news/releases/2004/09/qualcomm-acquire-display-technology-innovator-iridigm https://www.qualcomm.com/news/releases/2004/09/qualcomm-acqu...

fractallyte 3y ago
And now apparently owned by... Apple! https://appleinsider.com/articles/15/12/15/apple-has-taken-over-qualcomms-imod-mirasol-display-lab-in-taiwan https://appleinsider.com/articles/15/12/15/apple-has-taken-o...

permo-w 3y ago

what is the difference between that and what pigment does?

saltcured 3y ago
If you ground a structural color material down into a dust, it would no longer produce the same color effects anymore. By contrast, pigments and dyes have their absorption at the molecular level and would only lose their effect if you modified their chemical bonds. With structural color, the substances themselves do not have this spectral absorption characteristic. Instead, very specific configurations are needed to produce different effects. Imagine microscopic arrays of prisms and mirrors. Also, structural colorization is often very angle-dependent. The iridescence of flowers, feathers, etc. comes from this characteristic. At different angles of incidence of light reflecting to an observer, different colors become visible. Pigments do not do this. Also, I think there may be differences in usage of these terms between physicists, chemists, and biologists. While writing this, I also realize I am not sure if the terms become ambiguous for relativelt inert, microscopic crystals. From a physics standpoint, I think the crystals may exhibit structural color and pigment effects. From a practical standpoint, they might behave a little more like a pigment in that you could have what seems a fine dust and mix it into paint. But, if you dissolved it to separate the crystals back into free molecules, it would then only exhibit the pigment effects.
- johnyzee 3y ago
  Apparently, structural color is also a lot more vivid (in the paint example, it reflects back almost 100% of the light, vs. 50% for pigment).
  - aragonite 3y ago
    If it reflects back 100% of the incident light, it wouldn't have a blue appearance, would it?
    - deleted 3y ago
      [deleted]

deleted 3y ago

[deleted]

Schattenbaer 3y ago

Reminds me of when Lexus also used nanostructures to create their "structural blue" https://newsroom.lexus.eu/natures-brillance-captured---new-lexus-structural-blue/ https://newsroom.lexus.eu/natures-brillance-captured---new-l...