The Straight Dope: Are blue jays not really blue?

[Send questions for Cecil Adams: cecil@straightdope.com](mailto:cecil@straightdope.com) FOLLOW CECIL ADAMS ON [TWITTER]( AND [FACEBOOK](! [000728.gif] THREADSPOTTING: THE BEST OF THE STRAIGHT DOPE MESSAGE BOARD — 08/23/2019 Because they are not unicorns. [Click here]( for more. STRAIGHT DOPE CLASSIC #1 — 07/29/2000 Dear Cecil: Many years ago during an otherwise forgettable science class the teacher told us that "blue jays aren't really blue." Supposedly their blue color is not a result of pigment but rather an optical illusion produced by diffraction through the feathers or something. I spot blue jays from time to time and stare at them, hoping to see them as they really are, after the manner of Kipling's eponymous hero Kim, in training for the Great Game. However, it's not working. Tell me, Cecil, are blue jays not really blue? — Ray Fanchamps, Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin Cecil replies: This is one of those what-is-reality-type questions best debated over a six-pack, but in the interest of keeping things linear let’s trim it down to size: Is blue jay blue produced by a surface optical effect rather than pigment? Answer: yes. [Click here]( for more. STRAIGHT DOPE STAFF REPORT — 11/15/2000 Dear Straight Dope: My friend told me that a man ate an insanely large number of Twinkies and murdered someone. She also said that he was arrested, and claimed that the Twinkies made him do it (or some such nonsense). Anyway, according to her, the man was set free on the grounds of temporary insanity. Is this true? — Jennyaliz SDStaff Jillgat replies: Your friend has the details a little mixed up, but don’t hold it against her — the media, who get paid to keep track of these things, got it screwed up too. She’s talking about the infamous “Twinkie defense,” a term that entered the national vocabulary two decades ago following a brutal double murder in 1978. It all started on November 27, 1978 in San Francisco. [Click here]( for more. STRAIGHT DOPE CLASSIC #2 — 05/06/1983 Dear Cecil: I can't plug anything in anymore! This is crazy. The space heater I bought last year is all right, but my new blow dryer, my new clamp light, and the TV I got for joining the health club all have plugs with one prong wider than the other. The instructions to each suggest some unspecified safety factor and tell me to call an electrician on the outside chance I should ever want to use any of these appliances. It seems all my outlets and extensions are now obsolete. What a boon for the electrical supply industry, and what a doggle for the rest of us! Who is responsible — the same person who came up with swine flu vaccine? Is there a significant safety improvement, beyond the fact that nothing is working right now? — Richard L., Chicago Cecil replies: You sound like a good fellow, Richard, but you are too excitable. The electrical manufacturers of America are selflessly trying to prevent you from accidentally killing yourself with your reading lamp, and if that means you have to rewire your entire house and throw away every extension cord you ever owned, well, that’s progress, bub. [Click here]( for more. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - [View this message as a webpage](. All trademarks are the property of their respective owners. To advertise on The Straight Dope, contact Rich Hummel at rhummel@suntimes.com [Privacy Policy/Terms of Use]( • [Unsubscribe]( © 2019 Straight Dope, LLC. 30 N Racine Ave. Suite 300, Chicago, IL 60607