10th March, 2024
CHIRANJIT MITRA
● Fact 1: Contrary to popular belief, most blueberries' don't come from blue pigments within the fruit. ● Fact 2: Blueberries contain anthocyanins, pigments that usually produce reddish hues in plants.
● Fact: The intense blue color comes from tiny, microscopic structures in the blueberry's outer skin. ● Fact: These structures are made of a waxy substance that uniquely interacts with light.
● Fact 1: When light hits the waxy structures, it scatters. ● Fact 2: How these structures are arranged causes them to scatter blue light more than other colors. ● Fact 3: This is the same phenomenon that makes the sky appear blue!
Fact: Because the blueberry scatters mostly blue light waves, our eyes perceive it as blue.
● Fact 1: This waxy coating, called the 'bloom,' protects the blueberry from water loss, insects, and disease. ● Fact 2: This waxy layer is essential to creating the structures that make the blueberry appear blue.
So next time you pop a blueberry, remember – it's not just a tasty treat. It's a marvel of physics, evolution, and a whole lot of scattered blue light!