Scientists Unveil New Color 'Olo' Beyond Human Vision

Scientists at the University of California, Berkeley, have enabled five human subjects to perceive a new color, dubbed 'olo,' using a technique called Oz that stimulates individual retinal cells with lasers. Participants described olo as a highly saturated blue-green, unlike any previously seen hue, though researchers emphasize that its true appearance cannot be conveyed through traditional screens or images. The experiment demonstrates the potential to expand human color perception beyond natural biological limits, but the technology is not yet available for public or commercial use. Some vision scientists, however, question the novelty of the discovery, arguing that olo may simply be an unusually saturated green produced by isolating the M cones in the retina, rather than a truly new color. Despite skepticism, the research marks a significant step in understanding and potentially expanding the boundaries of human visual experience. The findings were published in Science Advances.