21 Feb 2024

Science: Why blueberries aren't blue, printing colour from a single ink

From Nine To Noon, 11:45 am on 21 February 2024
Blueberries, chameleon, banana skin

Photo: Pixabay

Science correspondent Allan Blackman looks at a new study which has found the skin of blueberries don't actually have a blue pigment - instead, it's their natural wax coating that gives it a blue appearance. He'll also talk about how US researchers drew inspiration from chameleons to develop a technique to 3D print multiple colours from a single ink. And could bananas be a solution to the plastic waste crisis?

Allan Blackman is a Professor of Chemistry, School of Science, Auckland University of Technology.