Why are firetrucks red?
wolframalpha.com
wolframalpha.com
> Before firefighting was a paid profession, most communities were served by volunteer fire departments. These firemen didn't have much money to spend on upkeep, and at the time red was the least expensive color of paint.
> Red wasn't the only color used, however. Before it merged with the force in Manhattan, the Brooklyn Fire Department painted its apparatus a two-tone green to distinguish them from the red apparatus of the Metropolitan Fire Department. Today, there are still different colored fire engines, but red is the most common color out of tradition.
It was 2002. I was a sophomore. The buzz was big. Everybody came. Packed the room. I can see him now, speaking. A male student assisting him. Patterns. Leaves. I wanted to make my way to him to say I got it, but the crowd was too thick. And everyone was so disappointed. They didn't understand. Columbia isn't receptive to extremely creative minds. They rep that they are, but in reality, we get treated badly here. That is why so many creative people leave Columbia. Anyway, he came here, explained his ideas, or at least elucidated them beyond theory, showed us models. And asked if students were interested in researching with him to please let him know. It was big and bold. Quiet. Subtle. And cinematic all at the same time. Very detailed.