Light, Darkness, and Colours

The contrast between light and dark and the properties of color obsessed Jonathan Wolfgang von Goethe (whose dying words were "more light!") both in his scientific and literary works. Colors tell us about the world around us, the seasons, and the cycles of life. Color can enrich the body, mind, and spirit. Indeed, Goethe was a bit ahead of his time, designing the rooms of his house by colors, warm and cool, to suit his mood. This award-winning science video compares and contrasts the color theories and experiments of Goethe with those of Sir Isaac Newton, detailing Goethe's use of sensory perception, in addition to objective knowledge, as a method in scientific research into the various types of color (physical, chemical, and prismatic). Goethe's "harmonic color wheel" is explained, as is his fascination with boundary color, both in the laboratory and in nature (and the program nicely illustrates the pale, haunting colors when day meets night with dramatic time-lapse photography). While few concessions are made for general audiences, the presentation of the subject matter is consistently clear in this beautifully lensed science documentary enhanced by otherworldly music and digital sound. Definitely recommended for accelerated high school physics students and college science collections. Aud: H, C, P. (S. Rees)