Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, have made an exciting discovery. They have found a color that no human has ever seen before. The breakthrough happened through an experiment where laser pulses were fired directly into the eyes of the subjects. These lasers stimulated the retinal cells in the eyes, pushing the limits of human vision.
The Color “Olo”
The researchers call the new color “olo.” They say it looks like a kind of blue-green. But it is not exactly that. The team says it is something much more complex. “We predicted it would look like an unprecedented color signal,” said Ren Ng, a lead scientist in the experiment. “But we didn’t know what the brain would do with it. It was jaw-dropping and incredibly saturated.”
The team tried to show people a rough idea of what the color looked like. They used an image of a turquoise square. However, they warned that this was not the real color. The true color cannot be shown on a screen or in print. “This is not the color we see,” said Austin Roorda, another member of the research team. “The version we see is just a pale imitation of the experience of olo.”
How the Experiment Worked
Humans see colors through cone cells in the retina. There are three types of cones: L (long), M (medium), and S (short) cones. These cones react to different wavelengths of light. For example, red light mostly stimulates the L cones, while blue light activates the S cones. The M cones, located in the middle, are usually activated in combination with the others.
The team’s goal was to stimulate only the M cones. To do this, they first mapped the retina of each participant to locate the M cones. Then, they used a laser to scan the retina. The laser fired a pulse every time it detected an M cone. Each time the M cones were activated, a patch of color appeared in the field of vision.
This method created a visual effect that natural light could not. The result was a new color that was created by stimulating only the M cones. The researchers named it “olo” because it was linked to the binary code 010, which corresponds to the activation of the M cones.
Is This a New Color?
Not all scientists agree that olo is a completely new color. John Barbur, a vision expert from City St George’s, University of London, says that this is not really a new color. He believes that what the team saw is just a more saturated green. Barbur adds that the research may not have much practical value.
Despite this, the team behind the experiment remains confident. They believe that their work is an important step forward in understanding human vision. They also believe that their findings could help answer big questions about conditions like color blindness and other vision disorders.
The Potential for Future Research
Though most people won’t see olo anytime soon, the team’s experiment could have a big impact on the future of vision science. The researchers hope that their work will lead to new discoveries about how we see colors. They also hope it can help develop treatments for vision problems.
Ren Ng, one of the lead researchers, says that the experiment is basic science for now. “It won’t appear on TVs, smartphones, or in VR headsets any time soon,” he said. “But this work is important for understanding how we see.”
In the future, the Oz vision system, which the team created, could help with vision problems. It could help scientists learn more about conditions like retinitis pigmentosa, which affect people’s ability to see colors. The system might also help people with color blindness see colors more clearly.
What’s Next for Olo and Vision Science?
Right now, olo is not something that most people can experience. However, the discovery is a step toward understanding more about how humans perceive color. The research team plans to continue exploring the limits of human vision. They hope their work will lead to even more discoveries about how we see the world.
In the future, technologies like the Oz vision system could change the way we treat vision problems. While olo may not be something that most people can see, the knowledge gained from this experiment could help millions of people who suffer from vision impairments.
In the coming years, we may see new treatments and tools that help people with color blindness or other vision disorders. The research team at UC Berkeley is excited about the future and how their work could make a difference for people with vision issues.