Scientists Discover ‘Olo,’ a Color Beyond Human Vision
A groundbreaking study from researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, and the University of Washington School of Medicine has unveiled a new color, dubbed “olo,” that lies outside the spectrum of human visibility. Published in Science Advances on April 18, the research describes how a specialized device, named Oz after the Wizard of Oz, uses laser pulses to stimulate the eye’s photoreceptor cells, allowing subjects to "experience" olo.
Despite being invisible to the naked eye, the five participants who witnessed olo described it as a profound teal, replete with uncharted saturation. Professors Ren Ng and Austin Roorda, both pivotal to this discovery, utilized the Oz technology, which targets individual cone cells within the retina. This tool, originally designed to study eye diseases, cleverly manipulates how we perceive light.
Olo has always existed but remained undetectable until now. While it might sound revolutionary, the color itself is not new; it simply transcends human perception capabilities. “It’s an incredibly vibrant blue-green, far surpassing anything we can usually see,” Roorda explained.
Beyond mere fascination, researchers are exploring whether the Oz technology could aid those with color blindness. The concept relies on directly stimulating affected cone cells to enhance color perception. However, practical applications might require significant advances in technology.
The implications of discovering olo extend into sociolinguistics, as naming this newly experienced shade raises questions about how we categorize color in our language and culture. With its unique nature, olo may never make it into the standard color palettes, but it challenges our understanding of color perception, shedding light on the mysteries that lie at the edge of human experience.
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