Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Miscellaneous/2009 October 31

Welcome to the Wikipedia Miscellaneous Reference Desk Archives
The page you are currently viewing is an archive page. While you can leave answers for any questions shown below, please ask new questions on one of the current reference desk pages.

October 31

US Government has patented shade of pink?

I recently heard someone say that the U.S. Government has a patented shade of pink that they use in prisons to calm people down. Is this true or just a myth? -- Coasttocoast (talk) 06:28, 31 October 2009 (UTC)

I don't think you can get a patent on a shade of color. They might have a trademark, or even an exclusive contract to purchase all of a certain color.4.68.248.130 (talk) 09:19, 31 October 2009 (UTC)

Or it might even just be the fact that it's a specific, potentially named, shade (like National School Bus Glossy Yellow). 131.111.248.99 (talk) 12:27, 31 October 2009 (UTC)

Colors are not patentable in the US, as they are inherently non-novel; rainbows invented them first. They can be trademarked; see color trademark. That seems unlikely in this case; tell your friend "citation needed". --Sean 13:51, 31 October 2009 (UTC)

I put [prison pink] into Google and so far I'm just seeing articles about individual jails using pink for clothing, sheets, etc., as a "calming" agent but also as way of putting them in their place.[1][2] I'm sure Richard Speck would have looked darling in pink. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 13:57, 31 October 2009 (UTC)

See Joe Arpaio. Dismas|^(talk) 01:37, 1 November 2009 (UTC)

International Klein Blue is often described as a patented colour, but it's actually the method of preparation of the dye which is patented - if someone uses a different method to produce the same colour, that doesn't infringe that patent. Warofdreams talk 14:26, 31 October 2009 (UTC)

There's no reason you couldn't patent the specific application of a specific color for specific ends. This is how people patent all sorts of things that supposedly aren't patentable, like equations and theories—you don't patent the color "by itself", you patent the specific use of color for psychological control in correctional facilities. These kinds of patents are always of a "Method of Using X" variety. You don't have to have a patent on "X" itself to patent a method of using it. (Similarly, as noted above, you can patent a method of making a particular "X"—which might or might not provide strong intellectual property control, depending on how unique it is.)

That all being said, I don't find anything like that in my quick Google Patent searches for what I would imagine would be obvious terms (calming color prison, etc.). So I'm not sure there actually is a patent on it. If you could establish that the practice was novel (which would be hard at this point given that the US government has been doing it for 50 years or so), you could almost certainly get a patent on it, even the use of specific shades of color. --Mr.98 (talk) 14:27, 31 October 2009 (UTC)

At the rate they're spending money, maybe they should patent "debtor's red" instead. Clarityfiend (talk) 08:48, 1 November 2009 (UTC)

I didn't think the US government were allowed to patent or copyright anything at all...much less a color. Of course it could be that some outside contractor employed by the government had patented it - but even so, it's not possible to patent a color because it's a natural phenomenon. SteveBaker (talk) 15:35, 1 November 2009 (UTC)

The US government can own titles to patents, and does (to a lot of them). Usually it is because a wing of the government did the research (e.g., someone in a DOD laboratory), or a contractor assigns it to the government (which is required by some government contracts). Again, you can patent the use of a color, just as you can the use of many natural phenomena. (You can't own the patent to "beryllium, the ore," but you can to, "use of beryllium in X, Y, and Z". Same with colors and just about anything else.) --Mr.98 (talk) 16:27, 1 November 2009 (UTC)

Pink is a shade of red, which generally increases aggression, not decrease it. If they wanted to calm the prisoners down they should use a shade of blue, green, or purple, perhaps baby blue. The highly visible orange jumpsuits of today can slightly increase aggression, so perhaps they should change... TheSavageNorwegian 14:16, 3 November 2009 (UTC)

Hirtan?

WHERE IS THE PORT OF HIRTAN? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 83.147.219.161 (talk) 09:35, 31 October 2009 (UTC)

Do you mean Kuantan? If not, what is the context?--Shantavira|^{feed me} 10:21, 31 October 2009 (UTC)

Ohio School...

I live in Ohio and I seen a commercial a few weeks ago for a free online college for Ohio residents. I am trying to remember the name of the college so I can find out more info. Does anyone from the area know what I'm talking about?74.218.50.226 (talk) 14:57, 31 October 2009 (UTC)

• Hmm. As far as I know, this is a complete list of the accredited colleges in Ohio. I see a couple on that list that refuse to report their tuition (usually because they charge by the class instead of by the year), and quite a few that are pretty affordable, but none that list themselves as free. It might be that this free school is not accredited, but non-accredited schools are often not worth it if your goal is to get a job or get into a graduate school (as opposed to just learning for fun), because almost no one will be willing to credit you as having a real college degree. --M@rēino 18:35, 1 November 2009 (UTC)

I found it... Turns out it wasn't a college, but a primary school called ecot.74.218.50.226 (talk) 18:48, 2 November 2009 (UTC)

Poppies

It's Remembrance Day soon and a lot of people (including myself) are wearing poppies to commemorate. Something my father said to me a few nights ago caught my attention, though. He asked me why ladies wear their poppies on the right-hand side while men wear them on the left-hand side. I, however, had never noticed before, but sure enough all the ladies on the next two TV programs we were watching at the time were wearing their poppies on their right. Is this just a coincidence or is it an actual convention? If so, why? --KageTora - SPQW - (影虎) (talk) 20:12, 31 October 2009 (UTC)

You'll find this BBC News article useful. --Tango (talk) 20:32, 31 October 2009 (UTC)

It may be related to not-so-universal habit of women's clothes buttoning on the opposite side to men's clothes (for which we oddly have no article). Matt Deres (talk) 23:42, 31 October 2009 (UTC)

The buttonhole thing apparently dates from the time when a lady would always have a maid to do up her buttons for her so they were put on the other way round (assuming the maid was right handed). Gentlemen however, might find themselves in the difficult position of having to do-up their own buttons! Never seen it in writing but it sounds reasonable. On men's suits, the lapel button-hole is always on the left, so not much option there.Alansplodge (talk) 01:59, 1 November 2009 (UTC)

If I'm not mistaken, Straight Dope has an article about the button thing. Dismas|^(talk) 02:08, 1 November 2009 (UTC)

On a tangent, why is the red Flanders poppy used on November 11. It was a northern hemisphere event, but they have just started flowering now in my southern hemisphere garden. They must be 6 months out of season in the northern hemisphere. Graeme Bartlett (talk) 09:35, 1 November 2009 (UTC)

The flower is because of the poem In Flanders Fields. The date is because that was the day WWI ended. Most poppies worn/sold are artificial. FiggyBee (talk) 10:35, 1 November 2009 (UTC)

I suspect that many veterens of the Ypres front would have had memories of the remarkable bloom of poppies on the battlefield; they thrive in broken clay. The French use a blue cornflower in remembrance; as they prefer the chalky soils found in the Somme and Verdun areas. Again, it doesn't flower in November. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Alansplodge (talk • contribs) 21:55, 1 November 2009 (UTC)

How do I promote a topic?

Am trying to start a movement to have Monkseaton High School "Opencourseware/Wiki~" their Spaced learning, as I believe globally people would benefit from this teaching style. In pursuit of that goal I am writing a letter to the Headmaster Paul Kelley in the Made to Stick format. Was wondering if you could make some suggestions on getting people involved and interested?

(I fixed the formatting in your post. Please sign posts with four tildes in future!) SteveBaker (talk) 23:26, 31 October 2009 (UTC)

• I went through the American school system, but in general our administrators were much, much more likely to respond to their own teachers than they were to respond to either students or to outside adults. So I'd recruit a couple teachers. Expect to have some good, long debates, and be prepared to lose a few points in order to win them over -- after all, if there's one thing teachers are knowledgeable and opinionated about, it's teaching. But if you can convince them that this reform is worth their while, then you've as good as won over the Headmaster. --M@rēino 18:27, 1 November 2009 (UTC)

• another idea is to make a huge poster with something like rasterbator and post it on a bridge or something, hand out flyers and give presentations in the Made to Stick Format at local University's, School's and other organizations. Which is exactly what I'm going to do. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Mrandredparis (talk • contribs) 18:26, 2 November 2009 (UTC)