Why are there so many colors?

But Why: A Podcast for Curious Kids

Vermont Public

Nature, Language, Kids & Family, Science

4.4 • 4.9K Ratings

🗓️ 31 October 2025

⏱️ 27 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

What’s your favorite color? Where do colors come from?Why do people see colors? Does everyone see colors the same way? How many colors are there in the world? We learn about colors with Kassia St. Clair, the author of a book called The Secret Lives of Color. We talk about the science of color as well as all the ways color and culture are intertwined.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Why is the sky blue?
0:05.2	Why do birds sing?
0:06.4	Why do we need your support?
0:08.4	Because But Why is powered in part by listeners like you.
0:11.7	If But Why sparks curiosity and learning in your home, help us keep the show going strong.
0:16.5	Head to BowieKids.org slash donate to become a but-why fan club member or to make a gift in any amount
0:22.4	to support the show. Thanks and
0:24.4	stay curious. This is But Why, a podcast for Curious Kids from Vermont Public.
0:52.5	I'm Jane Lindholm.
0:53.9	On this show, we take questions from
0:55.5	curious kids just like you, and we find answers. What's your favorite color? Colors are all around us.
1:03.4	When you walk into a room, if you're a sighted person, you might notice that the walls are painted in
1:08.6	yellow, gray, or white, or off white, or egg shell
1:12.6	white, or creamy white. When you pick out your socks in the morning, do you grab a different
1:18.2	colored pair depending on your mood? Red if you're feeling feisty, purple if you're feeling bold?
1:24.1	Flowers come in all kinds of striking hues, and if you've ever looked at a female cardinal,
1:29.8	you'll see the most beautiful gradations of brown and gold, from her amber-colored chest to her soft gray-brown back and a tuft of red at the crest of her head.
1:41.7	We've gotten lots of questions from you about color, and that's not
1:45.2	surprising because colors really are everywhere. My name is Eleanor, and I'm eight years old,
1:51.3	and I'm from Georgia, and where do colors come from? My name is Hannah. I'm from Detroit, Michigan.
1:58.1	I'm six years old. Where the colors come from? Let's first talk about what we mean
2:04.4	when we say color. Color has a lot to do with light. When light shines on an object, that object
	...

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