
Why barns are painted red (answer: physics of fusion) - beambot
https://medium.com/@yonatanzunger/how-the-price-of-paint-is-set-in-the-hearts-of-dying-stars-c33e520186a8#.m7cfwjwiu
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DanBC
See also these similar threads:
[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1688324](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1688324)

[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5822301](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5822301)

[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=9045513](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=9045513)

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dekhn
The funny thing is, if you go back and look at the time he's referring to,
most barns were white (painted with whitewash), not red. It was much easier to
make whitewash; only people with access to lots of iron oxides can make red
paint. Red paint being the most common color for barns is a relatively recent
phenomenon.

~~~
DanBC
Isn't whitewash more expensive?

[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1688324](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1688324)

~~~
qbrass
Iron oxide is cheap if you live near an iron or copper mine because it's a
waste product.

Otherwise, lime or chalk should be easier to get.

~~~
DanBC
> Iron oxide is cheap if you live near an iron or copper mine because it's a
> waste product

Animal blood is cheaper.

~~~
dekhn
Yes, but if you're like me and went back and read all the old journals and
almanacs, you'll find that almost nobody made paint this way. Paint was made
from flax seed / linseed oil, lime and milk (all of these are more plentiful
than animal blood), not iron oxide or blood. Other alternatives include eggs
(also more common than blood), flour and dirt.

(source: hours of reading up 100+ year old farmer's books, since I work with
Yonatan, and based my replies to him on primary data. In short, he took a very
nice science concept and wrapped a just-so story around it).

BTW, if you're interested in recreating society after the fall, various
calcium/carbon products like lime and chalk is going to be the first thing you
need to obtain after a good supply of water and food.

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dozzie
'Cause da red wunz go fasta!

[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ork_%28Warhammer_40,000%29](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ork_%28Warhammer_40,000%29)

