Blue: The Project
Continued...

Project Blue Experiment II

PURPOSE:
To observe the rate and characteristics of fading under real life conditions.

MATERIALS:

• FD&C Blue No. 2 (C₁₆H₈N₂Na₂O₈S₂ )
• Water (H₂O)
• Bowl (ceramic)  
• Hands (2) (Heidi)

PARTICIPANTS:

Heidi Pollock -- Hands
Linda Liang -- Site Manager
Seth McBride -- Impartial Observer

PROCESS:

Combine 1/4 teaspoon dye with 2 cups water in bowl. Immerse left hand in solution for 10 minutes. Towel dry lightly. Repeat with right hand for 5 minutes. Store solution in hopefully nonsoluable plastic container.

OBSERVATIONS:

• The dye does not come off on sheets during normal sleep.
• The dye does come off with contact lens saline solution.
• The dye, diluted with saline solution, appears to have no effect either contact lenses or associated vision processes.
• The dye attracts inconsistent attention from pedestrians.
• The dye comes off while eating macadamia nuts.
• The dye is blithely ignored by persons appearing to be "artists."
• The dye definitely comes off while eating potato chips.
• The dye gradually wears down until it only shows in the cracks of the palm, around the cuticles and in small wounds.

  CONCLUSIONS:

  • Again no discernable relationship between color intensity and solution exposure time.
  • The dye lasts longer on dead or dry skin.
  • I am going to be really unattractive on January 1, 1999.
  • For the most part no one cares what color ones hands are.

  December 28, 1998

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