Peacock Colors Not The Result Of Pigments

not earthshaking but interesting

[lawman]

HERE [nytimes.com]

lawman

[pmac]

Quiet today Lawman? :)

[bird]

Not really a new relevation, but indeed a very fascinating topic.

A surprising number of colors in nature that appear unusually clear and crisp are created by other means than pigments (partial spectral absorption). Most butterfly wings and bird feathers are equipped with holographic gratings (microscropic structures that selectively refract light). And color in minerals can be caused by a variety of quantum effects between the photons and the atomic crystal grid.

Holographic gratings are sometimes also used for displays, or in architecture to redirect daylight into buildings. One problem of that technology is that peopls usually don't want to live or work under colored light... But in some cases, the decorative effect can add a nice touch.
(www.glbau.de/english/products/holo_color/holo_color.html)

[snowman]

The colors of a Hummingbird are produced by what can be described more or less as the optical resonance of specific wavelengths of light, resonanced produced in the structures of the feathers.

Apparently there are structures in the Hummingbird's wings which are spaced by only a few hundred nanometers.

[hummingbird.org...]

[bunltd]

Ooh, pretty, now I want some holographic displays for my home... (really, I love optic effects, fiber optics, or now, I guess, holographic.) I love light effects. Thanks, lawman.

LisaB