Imagine seeing a colour no one else ever has. That’s what five scientists now claim after unlocking a new hue, named olo, using precise laser experiments.
Olo: A Colour Beyond Human Limits
A research team from the University of California, Berkeley, says they’ve found a colour unseen by human eyes — until now. Published in Science Advances on 18 April, the study describes Olo as intensely rich and deeply saturated.
Only five people have ever witnessed the colour. They compare it to peacock blue or teal. However, scientists insist even those comparisons fall short.
Lead researcher Ren Ng said the team always hoped for a unique response. “It was jaw-dropping. It’s incredibly saturated,” he shared.
Laser Beams Open a New Visual Door
This new visual experience was achieved using lasers. Scientists fired precise light pulses directly into volunteers’ eyes. These pulses pushed the brain’s vision system beyond its regular boundaries.
According to vision scientist Austin Roorda, olo cannot be seen in everyday life. “There’s no way to display this colour online,” he said. “What we see on a screen is just a dull copy.”
To help others imagine the shade, researchers released an image of a turquoise square. But they admit it’s a weak reflection of olo’s true intensity.
How the Eye Sees — And Misses
The human eye uses three types of cone cells. These are sensitive to long, medium, and short light wavelengths. Red stimulates L cones. Blue triggers S cones. But M cones, found in the middle of the retina, usually go unactivated by natural light.
Using a special laser, scientists scanned volunteers’ eyes and directly stimulated these M cones. That laser flash, hitting a precise spot, unlocked the new colour experience.
Despite the discovery, researchers say everyday people won’t be seeing olo anytime soon. “Smartphones, TVs, even VR headsets won’t show it,” the team confirmed. “This is far beyond current display tech.”
In the end, olo remains a colour for a select few. For now, the rest of us can only imagine what they’ve seen.
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