Scientists have discovered a new color through an unbelievable experiment—one that no one could have expected. What’s even more surprising is the method they used to achieve this discovery. Our surroundings are full of objects in a wide variety of colors. And not just basic colors—each color comes with its own shades and tones. Now, scientists have discovered a completely new color named OLO, and the research has been published in the journal Science Advances.
This discovery is deeply related to human vision and how many colors we perceive in our daily lives. The groundbreaking research was conducted at the University of California, Berkeley.
Humans have an advanced visual system capable of seeing a vast spectrum of colors. Typically, we don’t need any specific conditions to see colors—our eyes naturally perceive them in normal lighting. However, this new color cannot be seen through ordinary means. To experience OLO, one must go through a controlled scientific experiment.
But OLO is more than just a color. It’s also linked to how our brain and vision system process colors. This discovery may play a key role in future research on color blindness and how the brain creates color perception.
The technology used in this experiment involves scanning and mapping a person’s retina. Then, a pinpoint laser is used to stimulate M-cones, which are photoreceptors in the eye that detect medium-wavelength light and help us perceive color.
The newly discovered color OLO appears similar to a blue-green hue, but it is not a color that can be shown on a screen or described accurately using existing color models. According to the researchers, OLO must be experienced firsthand—it cannot be replicated in digital form or printed.
A team of five scientists participated in this experiment and were able to witness the color. During the experiment, a precise laser was directed onto the retina. This stimulated the brain in such a way that a new color emerged—one that had never been seen before.
Scientists believe that this discovery will open new doors in the study of color blindness and human vision. It could help us understand how the brain processes and interprets colors, and how visual stimuli can be used to push the boundaries of natural perception.
The scientists also shared their perspectives on this groundbreaking research.
“We predicted from the beginning that it would look like an unprecedented color signal, but we didn’t know what the brain would do with it,” said Ren Ng, an electrical engineer who worked on the study. “It was jaw-dropping. It’s incredibly saturated.”
Theories suggest that it is possible to push the natural limits of human vision through external stimulation, and this experiment supports that idea. The discovery of OLO came as a result of this method—stimulating the retina with a laser.
“There is no way to convey that color in an article or on a monitor,” said vision scientist Austin Roorda. “The whole point is that this is not a color we typically see. What we see on screens is just a pale version of it compared to the real experience of OLO.”
This new color discovery represents a major leap in vision science. It demonstrates that we might only be scratching the surface of what the human eye—and brain—can perceive. It’s a new door opening into understanding vision, color perception, and even the treatment of vision disorders.
Note:
This article is based on the recent discovery of the new color called OLO. The information provided here is drawn from publicly available data on the internet and several reputable news websites. This is a summarized interpretation for informational purposes only. For detailed insights, readers are encouraged to read the original research published in Science Advances.
