A team of scientists in the United States claim to have discovered a colour never before seen by humans, following an experiment involving laser pulses directed into the eye.
Published in the journal Science Advances, the study involved five participants — all with normal colour vision — who viewed the new colour through a device named Oz, which uses mirrors and lasers to stimulate specific retinal cells.
The colour, named “olo,” appeared as a highly saturated blue-green shade and was described as more intense than anything found in the natural world.
Professor Ren Ng from the University of California, one of the study’s authors and participants, called the discovery “remarkable,” likening the experience to seeing an entirely new colour beyond the usual spectrum.
Researchers focused on isolating a single type of cone cell in the retina — the M cone, responsible for detecting green wavelengths — without activating its neighbouring cells, something that doesn’t occur naturally. This allowed participants to perceive a colour that the human eye typically cannot register.
While some experts remain cautious, calling the claim debatable, the researchers believe the breakthrough could lead to deeper insights into visual perception and colour blindness. Three of the five participants were co-authors of the paper, which was a collaboration between UC Berkeley and the University of Washington.