A group of scientists claims there’s a new hue in the air. However, you can spot it exclusively by having your eyes hit with a laser beam.
Researchers from the University of California, Berkeley, discovered a novel shade they named “olo,” which they characterized as an intense blue-green color that remains invisible to the unaided human eye.
The hue can be described as a blend of blue-green, resembling teal or peacock green; all these terms would aptly characterize this shade.
Ren Ng
An electrical engineer and computer science professor from UC Berkeley spoke with USA TODAY. “However, I believe this goes beyond that due to how widespread it is. To put it simply, it’s the boldest shade of teal imaginable; incredibly eye-catching.”
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The researchers
published their study
In the journal Science Advances on April 18. However, how does it function? Below is the essential information you should be aware of.
Wavelengths in your eyes
There are three categories.
photoreceptor cells in the retina
– S, L, and M – each responsive to distinct wavelengths of blue, red, and green light respectively.
According to the research conducted by the scientists, in typical vision, “any light that activates an M cone cell will inevitably activate its adjacent L and/or S cones” as their functions overlap.
But in their
study
When a laser activated solely the M cones, “it sent a color signal to the brain that naturally doesn’t occur,” according to the researchers. Achieving the perception of the color olo required precise stimulation capable of extending visual experiences beyond their usual boundaries.
Five human participants were capable of perceiving the color, including
Berkeley researcher Hannah Doyle
and
Austin Roorda
, a professor specializing in optometry and vision science who was part of the research team as well.
The two participants involved were researchers from the University of Washington who remained unaware of the experiment’s objective.
The intensity of each laser light can be individually adjusted to simultaneously target up to 1,000 photoreceptors in the human eye.
according to the research.
Participants were additionally asked to attempt matching olo with a controllable color.
nearly achieving it with a hint of teal
.
Beyond a new color
Ng and her team of researchers mentioned that they dedicated four years to experimentation, yet they feel their study extends further than just introducing a new shade.
Researchers informed USA TODAY of their hopes that this technology might pave new avenues for assisting individuals with color blindness and enable scientists to more effectively understand how a person’s brain comprehends colors based on differences among the cone cells in one’s eyes.
A fourth-year Ph.D. student named Doyle informed USA TODAY about the potential of this technology in researching retinal conditions like cone cell degeneration, which can result in reduced color vision and heightened light sensitivity, along with other ailments that might cause blindness.
She mentioned that this would certainly open up numerous avenues for subsequent investigations.
“Overcoming optical limitations with adaptive optics has allowed us to make new discoveries in vision science, from mapping the trichromatic cone mosaic for the first time ever, to learning how human visual acuity responds to an aberration correction,” Roorda said, referencing the three kinds of cone cells in eyes and remedying certain kinds of problems in the human eye.
The study prompted queries from several experts. John Barbur, a vision scientist at City, University of London,
told the Guardian
He isn’t convinced that this finding is definitely a new hue.
“He explained to the outlet that this deeper shade of green can only be generated in subjects with typical red-green color vision when the perception is solely driven by M cones,” he said.
Don’t anticipate seeing olo manifesting as a paint or paper hue or getting its own crayon soon, Ng stated. Although there’s an expectation for people to experience it through a virtual reality headset, the team plans to keep refining and enhancing additional iterations of olo.
Olo serves as merely a beginning, rather than an endpoint,” Ng stated. “Our aim is to ensure that this cell-by-cell visualization functions properly.
The article initially appeared on USA TODAY:
Scientists report discovering a novel shade called ‘olo,’ which cannot be perceived without assistance.
