Why The Future Is Always Painted White - Cheddar Explains 

IMO it’s pretty simple, clean spotless white represents how far we have come from our ancestors down in the dirt with their sticks and stones. It visually informs the audience of progress.

*"This is the whitest white in existence."* Me watching on an LCD screen: "Hmm, interesting."

Meanwhile our use interfaces are in perpetual night mode…

I think we all know that in the future everything will be chrome

"This is the whitest white in existence." Me with a red beard, wearing a straw hat with cutoff jean shorts and a tucked in plaid shirt: "you sure?"

Interesting that you delve into the architectural matters regarding the color! White color, indeed made smthg looks spacious and it evokes 'cleanliness' feel. In addition, by my opinion, practicality is one of paramount rules in designing, and if you are also creating a space that doesn't look suffocating like an elevator, prepare a bucket of white paint and begin painting! It an old-aged trick and a simple way to spruce up a space within limited budgeting, as well

Reflects 98% of sunlight… the future is so bright you really do need to wear shades.

Wait what? White is only a phenomenon since the modern times? Ever heard of daub and wattle buildings? Or the stonehouses in Greece that get whitewashed with lime paint every year or two to look bright and white (and to keep watertight and safe from the elements obviously too. And you should KNOW that scene from Tom Sawyer where he is punished by being made to paint a fence with such a paint and then trades it off to others for the alleged fun it provides... Cheddar often fails so hard on such easy points.

subconsciously, I think this is one of the reasons I loved Tron: Legacy so much.

It's because xenomorphs are more easily spotted on a white background. (black object on a light green may be easier as your eyes would get more tired on a white background)

I think with the growing trend of Solarpunk - a result of climate change, green will go hand in hand with white as the new color palette for SciFi

Benefits of white paint on buildings is that it's way cooler than other colors. That's why white paint on roofs is a great investment to reducing cooling cost on buildings.

The umbrellas are actually in Medina not Mecca. Cool video though

Hm, I had a friend from Dagistan and he lived on small town that had town center all in white and yes, it was good for inside building but walking outside felt like walking on a frying pan, because all reflected lights heat you and air around up.

It might go completely the other way - with (already existing) technology to print perovskite solar cell in the form of ink on a film and put it on buildings and vehicles, more things in future might actually be black rather than white. A dilemma of whether it is better to reflect sun rays or harness it to produce energy. It will depend on location and purpose, I assume.

Nah the whole future is gonna be filled with ads you can't avoid unless you install an AdBlock inside your iris.

Like so mamy of Cheddar's videos, this begins by asking a good question and proceeds to present mostly substance-less fluff. As far is an halfway through the video, the guy is still pointing out all the predictions of the future being white. The video began with that question, by halfway through you should be a third through the answer.

The first thing I thought when I heard about this new ultra white color, and that they want to paint all the buildings with it was, "damn, that's gonna hurt my eyes"... =/

white or light colors also helps the environment by reflecting the sunlight and reduces the cooling demands so cities are cooler and less environmental impact due to all the air conditioners putting heat into the city.

no, the space station internals being white is not to show dust but more so any small light can be reflected everywhere and illuminate more. darker colours would need more lights.

White was chosen because it represents a bright future--either by intention or subconsciously. What other color could replace it? Gray, like the Empire; blue, pink, ect? It's also a very clean and distinct color and really stands out amongst the grays and other colors of this world.

My earliest association of white with the future was Gerry Anderson's tv show Space:1999 which came out in late 70's. Everything was white with brushed metal accents. Also, the first time I saw high-contrast computer graphics was on that show.

I always thought white for future settings was some sort of clean-cut color. Clinical and sterile. That the future is minimal in design.

2:18 white doesn't represent mourning in Islam tho, it represents cleanliness just like in the West the people in the clip are wearing white here because they're praying, and being clean is a pre requisite to praying

I hope future architecture is more traditional or fantasy like

One of the reasons for the paradigm shift was the 1918 flu pandemic. The clean modern look wasn’t just a whim. Form follows function. Keeping our living spaces clean matters.

Committing to guess before watching: white looks clean, hence new. It's also used in space travel which is high tech. Contrast to existing things is necessary to make them look older than the sci-fi stuff.

Society in the future will go light mode

No mention of Mirror's Edge? :(

Overstatement of white's role in 20thC modernist architectural design. Particularly with interiors there was much Bauhaus era interest in use of primary colors on walls, and then during the 1950s and '60s with the explosion of plastic's use in furniture, house wares, clothing, and auto bodies, we witnessed an explosion of fully saturated oranges, purples, acid greens, etc., i.e. to state color boldly was to be Modern.

I will tell you the REAL reasons on why the future is always painted white. The reasons that the future is always painted white are as follows: 1. White represents newness, 2. White represents purity, thus since the future is untainted by the past and present and its filth, things that are in the future, or, more accurately, are supposed to represent the future, are painted white, 3. White areas are simply easier to spot dirt and filth on them than other surfaces, thus also making them easier to clean, 4. White areas reflect sunlight better than other surfaces, 5. White surfaces, in major metropolitan areas, actually have a legitimate purpose on buildings, namely because, believe it or not, but the color white helps to dissipate the phenomena known as a heat island in the summer, and/or in hot climates, thus, in addition to reflect sunlight, it also reflects heat away from areas with tons of buildings, especially tall buildings, 6. White is symbolic of optimism, which is the most frequently occurring theme in building projects that represent the future, 7. In lots of science fiction, white represents perfect order in a future society, 8. In lots of science fiction, white also represents an unquestioned peace of a future society, 9. White represents not just newness, but that it also represents a newness of ideas.

I like how the architecture in Gattaca (1997) deviates from this a little by being more concrete-centric. Concrete isn't exactly the most futuristic building material, but they really made it work. Honestly I think Gattaca is just a good movie overall, if a bit difficult to understand on the first viewing. (Yeah, I pretty much came here to recommend Gattaca to the comments section.) However, it's important to note that there's some content that could be uncomfortable for some people to watch. As some of the most significant content warnings are also major spoilers, I'll leave it up to you to do your research, but please proceed with caution if you intend to watch. While it is one of my favorite movies, Gattaca doesn't exactly have a happy ending.

The science behind the video doesn't add up. - Saying that white is the most reflective surface is like saying gold is the heaviest material on earth. - Are the umbarellas not in Medina? - If white paint was a suitable way to capture NOx, PM or hydrocarbons we would not need catalythic converters in our cars. Some numbers would be nice. - Yeah the impact of CO2 saved due to avoiding air conditioning is nice, but that point wasn't made clear. All information leading up to that point was random. Oh it is 10° C colder, than what? under what conditions? Like air conditioning. Ahh of course. What sort of logic is that? - A percentage in anual (cooling) energy saved for a certain type of building at a certain region would yield some information, but this was useless. - An estimate of CO2 saved would be the next step. The video seemed stretched out and the focus was set on unnecessary details while loosing the main points out of sight at least regarding the environmental aspects.

Can anybody who lives in a city where everything is painted white comment on whether it is blinding to be outside?

Only the legends will go with dark mode

The point brought up at 1:57 about cleanliness was my inference; I based it upon the advancements that were made to both medical environments and bathrooms due to newfound knowledge on disease. Cheddar has a video about that, too, actually.

white paint on buildings doesn't protect against climate change by somehow chemically absorbing smog. it does that if it partially replaces electric air conditioning.

That police siren in the background though, really gives me that NYC feel 😆😆😆

THX 1138, Brave New World - a couple more example of Sci-Fi showing white as a future colour. You can see when things are dirty and need cleaning, if something blows (like electrical socket) it's usually a dark residue left so it can be clearly seen on white. And the reflecting of light to make it cooler also fits in -- it all make perfect sense. Thanks!

I've noticed that colour schemes in science fiction movies and TV series change with the times. In the 1960's (Lost in Space, Star Trek, Dr Who, the Jetsons, Thunderbirds), blues, greens and oranges were popular. Then by the 1970s, and probably influenced by 2001: Space Odyssey, white was popular (Star Wars, Space 1999, Battlestar Galactica). In 1980s and 90s beige, earth tones and dirty colours were popular (Star Trek: The New Generation, Alien, True Lies, Blade Runner). Then by the 2000s unnatural electronic colours, such as electric greens and blues were popular (The Matrix, Prometheus, Avatar). Whites made a comeback in some movies (Revenge of the Sith, A. I.), but it's far from the dominant colour.

Thats because on white you can tell if there's any type of dirt or smudges, so a surface being completely white shows cleanliness, compared to us where we are dirty

Cheddar explain future- why always white SpongeBob in da future- we prefer chrome

White cars are the *easiest* to keep clean. That is why commercial fleet vehicles are most commonly white. Black cars are the hardest to keep looking clean.

I used to work for a company that had an employee parking lot. But the company owner would only allow white cars in it. The owner thought other car colors looked dirty.

Anyone who thinks painting roads white is a good idea has obviously never lived where winter happens.

Gonna watch the video now, but one thing I'll say now is that white looks super sleek imo! But I hate the fact that almost anything white turns yellowish with age

White can also be temporarily colored by lighting as desired

i wonder what effect painting all north american roofs white, instead of the usual black n brown, would have on the environment? if there would be noticeable improvements ?

See I like white as a color for the future that's why I have a big fascination with Spanish architecture. However sometimes seeing these modern cities, for example Brazil's capital it feels a bit soulless like somebody strip the culture in favor of utility. Sometimes you got to have soul and culture intertwine with architecture of a city.

I hate to break it to the authors of this video, but all of the spacecraft I design are either covered in Mylar insulation or are left with bare machined finishes. A coat of paint is a terrible idea because it just adds another layer for heat to go through, which makes your heat sink worse. And nothing is better a avoiding heat absorption than a reflective surface. 1960s rockets were white and black in order to make their rotation more visible.

The future is white because mainframe computer rooms were all white back in the 60s and 70s. The matrix was green because computer terminals had green CRT tubes in the 60s and 70s. For instance Buck Rogers future city in the 1930s newspaper comic strip always fashioned radio tubes and porecelain insulator even in clothing.

If you make a building reflect all light away it needs more heating in winter and increases the total energy used throughout the year. Even in subtropical climates you can paint a building "too white" with existing paints. It's a far better option to have a black building with white shading devices that block the sun from hitting the building only in summer and allow the low angle winter sun through.

The white theme of the future appeared with the 70s cyberpunk novels, where the upper class society were living in a super white world, clean and automated because they had access to Water & Energy, which was ( and still ) presumed the predominant issue of the future. The upper class had an abundant supply of water and know its worth in a world of crisis. Unlike the lower classes where dirt, darkness, old technology is the predominant theme, more like blade runner.

@5:00 white cars are actually look clean longer than black cars.

I'm gonna go blind. Excuse me while I hide in my nice dark room...

This made me realized something: Mark Zuckerberg's face is already living far into the future.

The future is always white. Except in all those examples you showed where it isn't at all. And light helps us see better? This video is full of insights!

Keeping a white car cleaner is easier than keeping a black car clean. White may not stay pristine but black dulls with the first layer of dust.

An old design from the early 1960s and 1970s was to use surfaces that were white on one side(to reflect sun in the day) and black on the other side(to emit infrared and cool during the night). Rotating, or flipping, the surfaces allows the best of both worlds. These ideas are not new, and the basic technology isn't new either. Even the Civil Defense used to recommend white paint on houses to reflect nuclear (infrared) heat.

2020: in the future we'll be able to take trips to mars! 2120: hehe floating artichoke

we know that we can subscribe. You dont have to put it in the corner for the whole video.

Aren't those white sci-fi settings we're steering towards normally, uh... dystopias?

Lmao I can see the Getty images logo at the beginning

I thought it was cheaper to keep sets plain and not paint them all fancy. The fancier the paint job the more it costs.

I think it also is influenced by the renaissance and fascination with the classical age (even though all the statues and buildings were painted)..

@0:13 - couldn't spring to have the watermark removed, eh?

hmm. . . reflecting all those heat upside doesn't sounds like a good idea to me

Utopian futuristic societies are often depicted in white surroundings, because it seems sterile, slick and doesn’t distract from the actors and action. The eye slides over white walls and clothing, because there is nothing to get your attention. I remember seeing an interview with the set designers of Babylon 5, where they talked about all the colors and textures they put into the wall panels, and how they designed different backdrops for different alien species. They weren’t trying to create an idealized and grime free environment; they wanted it to look lived in. This took advantage of a well known principle of set and costume design, which is that solid colors look flat under stage lighting. You can often see this same principle used in stage costumes, like layered transparent fabrics in several shades of the same color in ballet costumes, or backdrops that are painted in several closely matched shades.

How much is due to cinematography, especially in the B&W film era? Any building that was lighter in color would appear white.

Those giant parasols in Mecca are so cool

I think it's since it seems clean, simple, advanced, & just futur-ee

Investing in crypto now should be in every wise individuals list. In some months time you'll be ecstatic with the decision you made today.

The reality is that architects aren't the decision makers. Developers are.

So what about cold climates where they want to trap heat?

Thank you for reminding me to replay Mirror's Edge..

There is also the fact that also of future stuff is in space so that’s a black background so white stands out. Plus everything pops on white and it’s clean looking

That's all I need, so much white that I will have to wear sunglasses even on overcast, rainy days!

0:50 I am waiting for biplanes to return to our cities, flying between the skyscrapers - they look cool.

6:22 you show smoking chimney and talk about pollution here. Arent the big chimneys meant mostly for steam coming out of the turbine? So something harmless?

white reflects heat so Makes sense that with global warming, the hotter the Earth, the cooler we need to try and stay.

Don't be silly. Everyone knows the future is chrome!

Kudos for the Santa Conquers the Martians clip!

This is really interesting! Good video ☺️

The future is mostly house cleaning

7:51 That building was inspired by the old wtc, the roof is supposed to resemble the steel beams on the wtc exterior.

"Why The Future is Always Painted White" Because it will be a bright future

What about if you somewhere cold and you want black cities instead to soak up the suns heat.

well I think I would start with the white that keeps the architecture alive like London Ferris wheel but I think I would use later I would use other colors because I think white is more like a good start or beginning of something new in a project.

Your expert mixed up Mecca with Medina

The Pyramids were originally covered in white limestone

“Everything in the future is chrome…” “Fuuuuture…Fuuuuuture…”

White colour is not synonymous with all modernist architectural movements. Le Corbusier used predominantly white, but plenty of modernist Architects preferred (and still prefer) the aesthetics of natural materials like concrete, stone, wood and brick. Yes, white is popular as an applied colour, but so are a lot of other neutral colours.

White is also the color of doctor's uniforms because it quickly shows blood, dirt, etc. Not sure why doctor's gloves and nurses outfits went from white to blue.

Ik kinda mentioned it but also right before the space race there was a world war. So a lot ship, planes, tanks had their interior painted white. I think that has a influence

Sort of misleading how the spacesuit has been photoshopped from 2001: A space odyssey in your thumbnail to appear white as its natural yellow colour takes up quite a sizeable portion of that image and contradicts the point you make in the title.

All hotel I went their walls is white & bed sheet is white, White is the Pleasant to see.

those umbrellas are located in medina.. not mecca.

Stopping burning coal for heating in the cities was important... With all that soot in the air white painted walls had no chance.

7:16 That's actually Madinah not Makkah

My guess is, because of NASA. It seams futuristic, and a lot of things they made is black and white, but mostly white.