Well, OK, I don't know for absolutely certain that dinosaurs were blue, but since no human ever saw one stride the earth, it follows that we can't know what exact colour they were. So, until categorically proved otherwise by the relentless march of science, I shall maintain that they are as likely to have been blue as any other colour. Not a navy, airforce or sky blue; not an electric, Egyptian or Persian blue, but something akin to cerulean...more properly called dinosaur blue of course.

Definitely NOT purple like that execrably twee American Kid's TV offering.

Barney

I was led to this thought by listening, accidentally, to a Robin Ince podcast I'd downloaded to my laptop some time ago. It was called "Show and Tell" and Robin's guests included Chris Addison - an intelligent and thoughtful comedian, probably best known for his role in the political satire "The Thick of It".

Chris Addison talked about enjoying visits to the Horniman Museum in Dulwich, East London and which, by the way, sounds fantastically eclectic and interesting. Anyway, he was drawn to their specimen of a Canadian walrus. At the time of it's inclusion in the museum's collection in the 1880's the natural shape of walruses was not at all familiar to Victorian taxidermists. As a result, who ever did the stuffing of this naturally wrinkly creature carried on past the wrinkly stage to produce a smooth skinned, markedly over full specimen.

tt_walrus

Here's my point. Most things in life are built on supposition, much as we like to think that they are certain, proven, inarguable. It is mostly a guess, circumstantial happenstance, nothing more. Was fire "discovered" as the result of a lightening strike? Does the presence of water on other planetary bodies give evidence of life? Was Jesus really the son of God or was he a chancer who got lucky? Were Beethoven and John Lennon both really geniuses? Did Gaia exist? Did our parents really love each other? What is love anyway?

None of these questions is designed to offend, just to cause a moment's pause for thought. We skate on the thin ice of our own lives. Our only decisions are - do I stay at the edge of the frozen pond, strike out for the middle or try a bit of both? When making such decisions it is important to remember that when the railways came there was a genuine concern that, should the speed exceed 30 mph the human frame would burst through it's skin upon braking.

What can I learn from those who came before? What is truth and what is aspiration? History is written by the victors/survivors (same thing). "It is believed..." does not make immutable truth. The stegosaurus had beautiful, violet eyes...possibly.