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Your post reminded me of a New York Times article I read sometime back called "Seeing Red," that came out around Valentine's Day. I remember reading it, not sure if it would make a good post at the time, but now I think that it is very relevant to what we have been talking about. The article talks about how the visual system of humans was shaped by the colors already used in the natural world among plants and animals. Red for humans, as well as animals is a very affective signalling device. In fact, our eyes, like those of apes, have more cones that are sensitive to red and yellow light than those sensitive to blue light. In terms of evolutionary benefits, the increased number of red-sensitive cones allows humans and apes to determine the ripeness of fruit to a more accurate degree.

Red can symbolize a great deal, from romance to alarm. There is no doubt about it that in society using red is a definite way to grab attention. I find it really interesting that society has picked up on the fact, without knowing, that humans are biologically better at seeing red than most other colors. It makes you wonder about the connections between out visual system when it comes to seeing color and their societal symbols.