Breaking News English

Bright pink is the world's oldest colour

Pink - Level 0

Scientists found that pink is the world's oldest colour. They looked at 1.1-billion-year-old rocks. They made powder from them and found a bright pink colour. A scientist experimented on the rocks. She said the pink colour came from tiny animals in oceans of long ago. The oceans are not here today.

The researcher was surprised when the rocks turned pink. She thought they would be black. She explained how important this news is. She said: "Imagine you could find [an old] dinosaur skin that still has its original colour - green or blue. That is exactly the type of discovery that we've made."

SPEED READING

Speed 1    |     Speed 2    |     Speed 3

MORE

11 online activities    |    8-page printable   (PDF)

Pink - Level 1

Scientists have found that bright pink is the world's oldest colour. Researchers looked at 1.1-billion-year-old rocks from the Sahara. They made powder from the rocks and found a bright pink colour. A scientist from the Australia National University experimented on the rocks. She said ancient organisms made the pink colour. They lived in old oceans that no longer exist. At that time, tiny organisms were the biggest life forms on Earth.

The researcher was amazed at the pink in the rocks. She thought the rock powder would be black, but it turned pink. Another researcher was also surprised that the 1.1-billion-year-old rocks "had this bright pink" colour. The scientist explained how important this news is. She said: "Imagine you could find a fossilized dinosaur skin that still has its original colour - green or blue. That is exactly the type of discovery that we've made."

SPEED READING

Speed 1    |     Speed 2    |     Speed 3

MORE

11 online activities    |    8-page printable   (PDF)

Pink - Level 2

Slowest

Is the world's oldest colour black or dark grey? No. Scientists have found out that bright pink is the oldest colour. Researchers looked at 1.1-billion-year-old rocks in the Sahara Desert. They crushed the rocks into powder and found a bright pink colour. Dr. Nur Gueneli from the Australia National University led the research. She experimented on the rocks in a lab in Australia. She said the colour was made by ancient organisms that lived in the oceans. She added that those oceans no longer exist. At that time, tiny organisms were the largest life forms on Earth.

Dr. Gueneli said she was amazed when she saw the pink in the rocks. She thought the rock powder might turn black in their experiments, but it turned pink. Another researcher said: "Dr. Gueneli came running into my office and said, 'look at this,' and she had this bright pink stuff…It turned out to be real colour, 1.1 billion years old." Gueneli explained how important her find was. She said: "Imagine you could find a fossilized dinosaur skin that still has its original colour - green or blue. That is exactly the type of discovery that we've made."

SPEED READING

Speed 1    |     Speed 2    |     Speed 3

MORE

11 online activities    |    8-page printable   (PDF)

Pink - Level 3

Most of us might think that the world's oldest colour is black or dark grey. However, scientists have found out that bright pink is the oldest known colour. Researchers looked at 1.1-billion-year-old rocks deep beneath the Sahara Desert. They crushed the rocks into powder and found the bright pink colouring in them. This means that pink is the oldest colour on geological record. Dr. Nur Gueneli from the Australia National University led the research. She made the discovery in a lab in Australia. Dr. Gueneli said the colour was produced by ancient organisms that lived in the oceans. She added that the oceans are so old they no longer exist. At that time, tiny organisms were the largest life forms on Earth.

Dr. Gueneli said her first reaction was "sheer amazement". She said her team thought the rock powder might turn black when they were doing their experiments on it. Instead, it turned pink. Another researcher said: "I remember I heard this screaming in the lab. Dr. Gueneli came running into my office and said, 'look at this,' and she had this bright pink stuff…It turned out to be real colour, 1.1 billion years old." The rocks could contain other colours, from a blood red to a deep purple. Gueneli explained how important her find was. She said: "Imagine you could find a fossilized dinosaur skin that still has its original colour - green or blue. That is exactly the type of discovery that we've made."

SPEED READING

Speed 1    |     Speed 2    |     Speed 3

MORE

25 online activities    |    27-page printable    |    2-page mini-lesson