Why Red could really be a Lucky Colour

Arrived just on time today (I normally arrive early) cos I missed my station while on the train. Guess I was just too tired or spaced out that I didn't hear the station name announcement. So instead of getting off at my usual station, I got off at one station later, where there is another bus that I can take to work.

Unfortunately, this bus is one of those buses that takes very long to arrive, even during peak hours. Personally, I think if our transport operators want to raise their prices, they'd better buck up and improve their service. I think having to wait more than 15 mins for a bus to arrive during peak hours is just too long. In fact I think 10 mins should be the maximum wait for any bus during peak hours. And in case you are wondering, the bus was a red coloured bus *hint*hint*. However, having the same coloured busses as the colour I'm discussing today is as far as the similarity goes for that particular transport operator and today's article.

Today's article is about research that shows that atheletes wearing Red may actually have an advantage over atheletes wearing other colours (usually blue). Scientists examined one-on-one sports during the Olympics and found statistically that there were more Red-clad winners.

The theory is that wearing the colour red triggers some subconscious reaction in the non-red-wearing contender that puts him at a disadvantage. This correlates with other studies "that suggest red correlates to male dominance and testosterone levels in animals." And in humans, "anger is associated with reddening of the skin due to increased blood flow, whereas fear is associated with increased pallor in similarly threatening situations." However, scientists say that this colour factor may only play a part if the competitors are evenly matched.

So if this theory is true, then I guess Red may really be a lucky colour, in sports at least. So next time you are going to take part in a competition, remember to wear red, cos even if it doesn't reallt improve your luck, you'll at least be on the side with the statistically higher probability of winning.

A new study of Olympic athletes finds that those wearing red have an advantage over blue-suited competitors.

The reason may have to do with hard-wired perceptions in the human brain that date back to more animalistic times, researchers say.

In the study, scientists examined one-on-one sports in the 2004 Olympics in which competitors were randomly assigned red or blue outfits or protective gear. The events: boxing, tae kwon do, Greco-Roman wrestling and freestyle wrestling.

Click here for the full article.