Oh well there goes another theory up in smoke .....
I wish to retract my earlier statements on Black being the fastest colour, :blushing:
I place before you evidence that RED IS indeed the fastest colour.:doh:
http://www.newscientist.com/backpage.ns?id=mg18625042.600
Red, the fastest colour[or should that be infra red?]
Why, it asked, do "reds, oranges and yellows...seem to grab our attention while blues, indigos and violets are more reserved"?
The answer will come as a surprise to many: "This is due to the speed at which each colour travels towards the eye - reds, being produced by short-wave light, travel very quickly while blues are long waves which proceed more slowly."
Presumably, speculates Angela Cotton who spotted this, infrared has an even shorter wavelength and travels even faster to make us hot, while ultraviolet is longer and slower, giving it more time to interact and cause skin and eye damage.
BB