TedTest

From the Ted Talk by J. V. Maranto: History's deadliest colors

Unscramble the Blue Letters

In 1898, Marie and Pierre Curie discovered radium. Claimed to have restorative properties, radium was added to toothpaste, medicine, water, and food. A glowing, luminous green, it was also used in beauty products and jlewrey. It wasn't until the mid-20th century we realized that radium's harmful efftces as a radioactive element outweighed its visual benefits. Unfortunately, radium isn't the only pigment that hilctslaoiry seemed harmless or useful but turned out to be deadly. That lamentable dicoititnsn includes a trio of colors and pigments that we've long used to dcrtoeae ourselves and the things we make: white, green, and orange. Our story begins with white. As far back as the 4th century BCE, the Ancient Greeks treated lead to make the banrlliit withe pigment we know today. The problem? In humans, lead is directly absorbed into the body and distributed to the blood, soft tissues, and mrineezliad tissues. Once in the nervous system, lead mimics and disrupts the nmoarl fionctnus of calcium, cuisnag damages ranging from learning disabilities to high blood pressure. Yet the ptcrcaie of using this toxic pigment continued across time and cultures. Lead white was the only practical choice for white oil or tempera paint until the 19th century. To make their panit, artists would grind a block of lead into powder, exposing highly toxic dust particles. The pigment's liberal use resulted in what was known as painter's colic, or what we'd now call lead poisoning. Artists who worked with lead complained of palseys, melancholy, coughing, enlarged retinas, and even blindness. But lead white's density, ocatpiy, and warm tone were irresistible to artists like veeermr, and later, the Impressionists. Its glow couldn't be matched, and the pigment continued to be widely used until it was banned in the 1970s. As bad as all that snduos, white's dangerous effects pale in crooiampsn to another, more wide-spread pengimt, green. Two synthetic greens clelad Scheele's Green and Paris Green were first introduced in the 18th century. They were far more vibrant and flashy than the relatively dull geenrs made from natural pigntems, so they quickly became popular choices for paint as well as dye for textiles, wallpaper, soaps, cake dcateoinros, toys, cnday, and clothing. These green pigments were made from a compound called cupric hydrogen arsenic. In humans, exposure to arsenic can damage the way clels communicate and function. And high levels of arsenic have been directly linked to ccenar and heart disease. As a result, 18th century fabric factory workers were often poisoned, and women in green dresses rlropetedy collapsed from exposure to arsenic on their skin. Bed bugs were rumored not to live in green rooms, and it's even been speculated that Napoleon died from slow anrisec pioonsing from slpineeg in his green wallpapered brodoem. The intense ttocixiy of these geren stayed under wraps until the arsenic recipe was published in 1822. And a century later, it was repurposed as an insecticide. seythintc green was probably the most dangerous color in weieradpsd use, but at least it didn't share radium's property of radioactivity. Another color did, though - orange. Before World War II, it was common for manufacturers of ceramic dearnrinwe to use uranium oxide in colored glzaes. The comnuopd produced brilliant reds and oranges, which were appealing attributes, if not for the radiation they emitted. Of course, ridaaiton was something we were unwarae of until the late 1800s, let alone the associated cancer risks, which we discovered much later. During World War II, the U.S. government confiscated all uranium for use in bomb development. However, the atomic energy coissoimmn relaxed these restrictions in 1959, and depleted uranium returned to ceramics and glass factory floors. Orange dishes made during the next decade may still have some hazardous qualities on their surfaces to this day. Most nlobtay, vintage fiestaware reads positive for radioactivity. And while the levels are low enough that they don't officially pose a health risk if they're on a shelf, the U.S. EPA wanrs against eating food off of them. Though we still occasionally run into iuesss with synthetic food dyes, our sniftiecic urdndneiatsng has helped us prune hrauodazs colors out of our lives.

Open Cloze

In 1898, Marie and Pierre Curie discovered radium. Claimed to have restorative properties, radium was added to toothpaste, medicine, water, and food. A glowing, luminous green, it was also used in beauty products and _______. It wasn't until the mid-20th century we realized that radium's harmful _______ as a radioactive element outweighed its visual benefits. Unfortunately, radium isn't the only pigment that ____________ seemed harmless or useful but turned out to be deadly. That lamentable ___________ includes a trio of colors and pigments that we've long used to ________ ourselves and the things we make: white, green, and orange. Our story begins with white. As far back as the 4th century BCE, the Ancient Greeks treated lead to make the _________ _____ pigment we know today. The problem? In humans, lead is directly absorbed into the body and distributed to the blood, soft tissues, and ___________ tissues. Once in the nervous system, lead mimics and disrupts the ______ _________ of calcium, _______ damages ranging from learning disabilities to high blood pressure. Yet the ________ of using this toxic pigment continued across time and cultures. Lead white was the only practical choice for white oil or tempera paint until the 19th century. To make their _____, artists would grind a block of lead into powder, exposing highly toxic dust particles. The pigment's liberal use resulted in what was known as painter's colic, or what we'd now call lead poisoning. Artists who worked with lead complained of palseys, melancholy, coughing, enlarged retinas, and even blindness. But lead white's density, _______, and warm tone were irresistible to artists like _______, and later, the Impressionists. Its glow couldn't be matched, and the pigment continued to be widely used until it was banned in the 1970s. As bad as all that ______, white's dangerous effects pale in __________ to another, more wide-spread _______, green. Two synthetic greens ______ Scheele's Green and Paris Green were first introduced in the 18th century. They were far more vibrant and flashy than the relatively dull ______ made from natural ________, so they quickly became popular choices for paint as well as dye for textiles, wallpaper, soaps, cake ___________, toys, _____, and clothing. These green pigments were made from a compound called cupric hydrogen arsenic. In humans, exposure to arsenic can damage the way _____ communicate and function. And high levels of arsenic have been directly linked to ______ and heart disease. As a result, 18th century fabric factory workers were often poisoned, and women in green dresses __________ collapsed from exposure to arsenic on their skin. Bed bugs were rumored not to live in green rooms, and it's even been speculated that Napoleon died from slow _______ _________ from ________ in his green wallpapered _______. The intense ________ of these _____ stayed under wraps until the arsenic recipe was published in 1822. And a century later, it was repurposed as an insecticide. _________ green was probably the most dangerous color in __________ use, but at least it didn't share radium's property of radioactivity. Another color did, though - orange. Before World War II, it was common for manufacturers of ceramic __________ to use uranium oxide in colored ______. The ________ produced brilliant reds and oranges, which were appealing attributes, if not for the radiation they emitted. Of course, _________ was something we were _______ of until the late 1800s, let alone the associated cancer risks, which we discovered much later. During World War II, the U.S. government confiscated all uranium for use in bomb development. However, the atomic energy __________ relaxed these restrictions in 1959, and depleted uranium returned to ceramics and glass factory floors. Orange dishes made during the next decade may still have some hazardous qualities on their surfaces to this day. Most _______, vintage fiestaware reads positive for radioactivity. And while the levels are low enough that they don't officially pose a health risk if they're on a shelf, the U.S. EPA _____ against eating food off of them. Though we still occasionally run into ______ with synthetic food dyes, our __________ _____________ has helped us prune _________ colors out of our lives.

Solution

unaware
decorate
sounds
reportedly
arsenic
issues
hazardous
jewelry
effects
understanding
sleeping
greens
scientific
called
commission
practice
cancer
radiation
causing
mineralized
bedroom
vermeer
historically
white
warns
pigment
distinction
functions
cells
poisoning
notably
normal
opacity
pigments
brilliant
decorations
green
widespread
glazes
toxicity
comparison
candy
synthetic
paint
compound
dinnerware

Original Text

In 1898, Marie and Pierre Curie discovered radium. Claimed to have restorative properties, radium was added to toothpaste, medicine, water, and food. A glowing, luminous green, it was also used in beauty products and jewelry. It wasn't until the mid-20th century we realized that radium's harmful effects as a radioactive element outweighed its visual benefits. Unfortunately, radium isn't the only pigment that historically seemed harmless or useful but turned out to be deadly. That lamentable distinction includes a trio of colors and pigments that we've long used to decorate ourselves and the things we make: white, green, and orange. Our story begins with white. As far back as the 4th century BCE, the Ancient Greeks treated lead to make the brilliant white pigment we know today. The problem? In humans, lead is directly absorbed into the body and distributed to the blood, soft tissues, and mineralized tissues. Once in the nervous system, lead mimics and disrupts the normal functions of calcium, causing damages ranging from learning disabilities to high blood pressure. Yet the practice of using this toxic pigment continued across time and cultures. Lead white was the only practical choice for white oil or tempera paint until the 19th century. To make their paint, artists would grind a block of lead into powder, exposing highly toxic dust particles. The pigment's liberal use resulted in what was known as painter's colic, or what we'd now call lead poisoning. Artists who worked with lead complained of palseys, melancholy, coughing, enlarged retinas, and even blindness. But lead white's density, opacity, and warm tone were irresistible to artists like Vermeer, and later, the Impressionists. Its glow couldn't be matched, and the pigment continued to be widely used until it was banned in the 1970s. As bad as all that sounds, white's dangerous effects pale in comparison to another, more wide-spread pigment, green. Two synthetic greens called Scheele's Green and Paris Green were first introduced in the 18th century. They were far more vibrant and flashy than the relatively dull greens made from natural pigments, so they quickly became popular choices for paint as well as dye for textiles, wallpaper, soaps, cake decorations, toys, candy, and clothing. These green pigments were made from a compound called cupric hydrogen arsenic. In humans, exposure to arsenic can damage the way cells communicate and function. And high levels of arsenic have been directly linked to cancer and heart disease. As a result, 18th century fabric factory workers were often poisoned, and women in green dresses reportedly collapsed from exposure to arsenic on their skin. Bed bugs were rumored not to live in green rooms, and it's even been speculated that Napoleon died from slow arsenic poisoning from sleeping in his green wallpapered bedroom. The intense toxicity of these green stayed under wraps until the arsenic recipe was published in 1822. And a century later, it was repurposed as an insecticide. Synthetic green was probably the most dangerous color in widespread use, but at least it didn't share radium's property of radioactivity. Another color did, though - orange. Before World War II, it was common for manufacturers of ceramic dinnerware to use uranium oxide in colored glazes. The compound produced brilliant reds and oranges, which were appealing attributes, if not for the radiation they emitted. Of course, radiation was something we were unaware of until the late 1800s, let alone the associated cancer risks, which we discovered much later. During World War II, the U.S. government confiscated all uranium for use in bomb development. However, the atomic energy commission relaxed these restrictions in 1959, and depleted uranium returned to ceramics and glass factory floors. Orange dishes made during the next decade may still have some hazardous qualities on their surfaces to this day. Most notably, vintage fiestaware reads positive for radioactivity. And while the levels are low enough that they don't officially pose a health risk if they're on a shelf, the U.S. EPA warns against eating food off of them. Though we still occasionally run into issues with synthetic food dyes, our scientific understanding has helped us prune hazardous colors out of our lives.

Frequently Occurring Word Combinations

ngrams of length 2

collocation	frequency
pigment continued	2
world war	2

Important Words

absorbed
added
ancient
appealing
arsenic
artists
atomic
attributes
bad
banned
bce
beauty
bed
bedroom
begins
benefits
blindness
block
blood
body
bomb
brilliant
bugs
cake
calcium
call
called
cancer
candy
causing
cells
century
ceramic
ceramics
choice
choices
claimed
clothing
colic
collapsed
color
colored
colors
commission
common
communicate
comparison
complained
compound
confiscated
continued
coughing
cultures
cupric
curie
damage
damages
dangerous
day
deadly
decade
decorate
decorations
density
depleted
development
died
dinnerware
disabilities
discovered
disease
dishes
disrupts
distinction
distributed
dresses
dull
dust
dye
dyes
eating
effects
element
emitted
energy
enlarged
epa
exposing
exposure
fabric
factory
fiestaware
flashy
floors
food
function
functions
glass
glazes
glow
glowing
government
greeks
green
greens
grind
harmful
harmless
hazardous
health
heart
helped
high
highly
historically
humans
hydrogen
ii
impressionists
includes
insecticide
intense
introduced
irresistible
issues
jewelry
lamentable
late
lead
learning
levels
liberal
linked
live
lives
long
luminous
manufacturers
marie
matched
medicine
melancholy
mimics
mineralized
napoleon
natural
nervous
normal
notably
occasionally
officially
oil
opacity
orange
oranges
outweighed
oxide
paint
pale
palseys
paris
particles
pierre
pigment
pigments
poisoned
poisoning
popular
pose
positive
powder
practical
practice
pressure
problem
produced
products
properties
property
prune
published
qualities
quickly
radiation
radioactive
radioactivity
radium
ranging
reads
realized
recipe
reds
relaxed
reportedly
repurposed
restorative
restrictions
result
resulted
retinas
returned
risk
risks
rooms
rumored
run
scientific
share
shelf
skin
sleeping
slow
soaps
soft
sounds
speculated
stayed
story
surfaces
synthetic
system
tempera
textiles
time
tissues
today
tone
toothpaste
toxic
toxicity
toys
treated
trio
turned
unaware
understanding
uranium
vermeer
vibrant
vintage
visual
wallpaper
wallpapered
war
warm
warns
water
white
widely
widespread
women
worked
workers
world
wraps