it has been over 125 years since william henry perkin first synthesized dye and started a whole new chemical industry. since then, scientists have come to a broader understanding of molecules and their structure which perkin could only guess at. but as our knowledge of the molecular world grows, advanced applications, like staining dna, are sure to follow. these experimental greenhouses have panels with fluorescent dyes. plants need red or blue light to grow. the dyes on these panels take green light and turn it into red light. this helps the plants grow faster and be healthier. even more exotic experiments are under way. dyes might make solar energy more efficient. the dyes in these solar panels direct the sunlight to the edges, which are lined with solar cells. this means fewer cells are needed to generate electricity, increased crop yields to feed an ever-expanding population, and electricity from the sun and unraveling the mysteries of life itself, all with the chemistry of color. we have seen the relationship between color and the world of chemistry. color is not magic. in there are mol