From Children's Literature to Scientific Innovation: Genomic Press Finds Its Identity in Flicts

In a thought-provoking editorial published in Genomic Psychiatry (Genomic Press, New York), Editor-in-Chief Dr. Julio Licinio explores how a Brazilian children's book about a lonely color has become the philosophical foundation for one of science's most innovative contemporary publishing platforms. The editorial, which traces the parallel journeys of Flicts—both as a color and as a metaphor—demonstrates how breakthrough science often emerges from unexpected intersections.
 

The Story of Flicts

Published in 1969, Flicts tells the story of the unique color Flicts that couldn't find its place in the world. Neither vibrant like Red nor deep like Blue, Flicts was repeatedly rejected from the traditional rainbow, excluded from paintboxes, and absent from national flags. As Flicts searched for belonging on Earth without success, it eventually felt exceptionally discouraged and left our planet, rising to the skies. However, its escape journey ultimately led to an unexpected discovery - its true home was on the moon, where it gave the celestial body its distinctive color. This revelation was later affirmed by astronaut Neil Armstrong himself, who wrote "The Moon is Flicts" during a visit to Brazil, adding a remarkable real-world connection to this metaphorical tale. Though Flicts was formally characterized as a fictional (and therefore non-existent) color, Brazilian artist Zukoski took the brave step of transforming Flicts's metaphysical identity into pixels, giving it precise and unprecedented numerical values: HEX#D49126. Zukoski's muted gold-orange-red shade, quiet but distinctive, captures the ambiguity and singularity that characterize Flicts's identity. This very interpretation of Flicts has been adopted as the official color of Genomic Press, prominently featured in the company's name and branding (see Figure 1).


Figure 1. The journey of Flicts: A visual representation of Flicts’s story and legacy. (Left) The original cover of Ziraldo’s Flicts (1969), depicting its unplaceable identity with a metallic golden shade that, paradoxically, could not be the true Flicts – a color deemed impossible to reproduce when the book was published. (Top Right) Neil Armstrong’s handwritten note, affirming “The Moon is Flicts.” (Bottom Right) The Genomic Press logo, utilizing Zukoski’s compelling digital interpretation of Flicts (Hex #D49126), which has become one of the most resonant modern visualizations of this historically elusive color.
 

Global Impact of Editorial

The editorial has sparked international dialogue about scientific publishing's role in fostering innovation, with coverage across multiple continents:

• Americas: Featured in major scientific and publishing outlets

• Australia: Highlighted in Mirage News' coverage of scientific innovation

• Global reach: Multilingual press releases in English, Portuguese, and Chinese

• Social media: Significant engagement across scientific communities
 

Key Insights

The editorial reveals several transformative concepts:

• Introduces Flicts as both a literal color (Hex D49126) and a metaphor for scientific innovation

• Explores how groundbreaking research often exists between established categories

• Highlights the historical connection between Flicts and NASA's first moon landing

• Establishes Genomic Press's philosophical framework for evaluating cross-disciplinary research

• Demonstrates how revolutionary scientific concepts, like Flicts itself, may not find a home in traditional academic venues, but can reach their full potential in innovative platforms like Genomic Press, just as Flicts found its true destiny not on Earth but on the moon

Content Details

The editorial appears in Genomic Psychiatry, providing valuable context about Genomic Press's mission to support innovative, cross-disciplinary research that might not find a home in traditional publishing categories.

📝 Original Editorial: https://doi.org/10.61373/gp024d.0091

Press Coverage:

Additional Coverage:

🇦🇺 Mirage News (Australia): https://www.miragenews.com/genomic-press-revolutionizes-science-moon-story-1380120/

This influential editorial by Dr. Licinio connects the legacy of Brazilian artist Ziraldo's Flicts (1969) with Genomic Press's mission to create space for innovative research that transcends traditional boundaries. The editorial pays tribute to Ziraldo, who passed away in April 2024, while establishing a forward-looking vision for scientific publishing that embraces work existing at the intersection of established fields.

The editorial's impact extends beyond traditional academic circles, resonating with researchers, publishers, and science communicators worldwide, demonstrating the power of metaphor to illuminate new pathways in scientific communication and discovery. Like Flicts, we believe that true belonging is not about fitting in—it is about finding or creating the place where emerging research concepts can truly shine. As we continue building Genomic Press, we carry this lesson from Flicts: sometimes, the ideas that do not fit anywhere else are precisely the ones that help us reach the stars.