Re: Iridescent

From: KYER, JEFFREY <jeff.kyer_at_...>
Date: Mon, 25 Jun 2001 13:40:46 -0400

Andrew Barton wrote:
>
> Well, this isn't worth beating into the ground, so I'll quote the
> Chambers
> entry (which appears to require more than one colour to appear) and
> leave
> it at that.
>
> iridescence - play of rainbow colours, caused by interference, as on
> bubbles, mother-of-pearl, some feathers.
> adjective iridescent - coloured like the rainbow; glittering with
> changing
> colours.
> Ety. as for Iris.
> Iris ... the Greek Rainbow goddess.

Iridesence is a layer of interference.

> In our world iridescence wouldn't include purple because it's a
> mixture
> rather than part of the rainbow, but that depends on some fairly deep

Not quite, but since its really an interference layer (or so I recall from my courses in petrographics - study of minerals) if the underlying substance is purple, then you'd get a nice iridesent effect. Rhodium purple, btw, is remarkably purple and appears in nature -- often with just such an effect.

> physics and needn't apply in Glorantha. Is Iris a Gloranthan deity?
> Is
> there a myth about the rainbow?
>
> Andrew

Probably had somethign to do with Anaixal, Yelm and a boat. =) Or Heler, boats and the end of the war with the Vinkotlings et al.

Jeff

-- 
Jeffrey Kyer
BESI Interim Change Management (EP) / Consultant
CGI Information Systems and Management Consultants
Tel: (416) 215-9464     Fax: (416) 585-7805

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