The researchers used lasers to stimulate cone cells of the eye, allowing participants to perceive colours (“Oro”) that do not occur naturally in human vision. Credits: Megaflopp, Shutterstock
Laser to the eyes, flash of something you’ve never seen before, one simple name: olo
American scientists say they were able to do things that no one thought was impossible. Look at colors that don’t exist in nature. And if it sounds like science fiction, well…it’s not too far.
It all happened thanks to strange and accurate experiments involving laser beams that are directly targeted in people’s eyes, causing cone cells in a way that never happens in nature. result? A vibrant turquoise shade of blue-green that researchers call “Oro” – they are colors that exist beyond what the average eye can perceive in itself.
What is the colour of “Oro” and why humans cannot see it naturally and cannot see it.
Scientists used a laser beam to separate one type of cone cell in the eye
This is how it worked. Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley and the University of Washington used custom-built devices (OZs) to make the laser shine in the single eye of each participant. The device is packed with mirrors, lasers, and optical technology designed to separate one type of cone cell, especially M-cones that are sensitive to green light.
Usually, when light enters the eye, it activates several types of cone cells at once. However, in this experiment, the laser was very accurate and we triggered one cone type at a time. That’s why the results are so rare, as the human brain is simply unfamiliar with it.
“It was more saturated than any of the colours you could see in the real world,” said Ren Ng, one of the five participants in the study and a researcher at the University of California.
To explain the effect, he provided a simple analogy. “Let’s say you’ve only seen baby pink for the rest of your life. One day someone will walk around wearing the boldest and most intense version of that pink and say it’s a brand new colour.
Is “Oro” really a new colour? Why some experts are skeptical
Some experts say it’s all about how we interpret what we see
What’s exciting as you can hear the discoveries are not everyone’s certain that this truly qualifies as a new colour.
Professor John Barber, a vision scientist at St. George’s City at the University of London, praised the study for its accuracy, but he was cautious of the bold claims.
“It’s a technical feat,” he said. new The colour is debatable. ”
He explained how cone cells in the eye respond, particularly if one type is isolated, it can lead to abnormal visual effects. That doesn’t necessarily mean that new colors are being created, but rather that our brains are seeing familiar colors in unfamiliar ways.
Still, all participants in this study were able to adjust the color dial until they matched what they saw during laser stimulation. The colors present in the standard color range did not match.
Can the discovery of “Oro” lead to new treatments for color blindness?
Researchers say it can pave the way for new vision technologies
Olo itself may be difficult to replicate outside the lab, but the team behind the investigation says that this study may have a very realistic application. Most notably, it is more clear to understand how color is treated at the cellular level when helping people with lack of chromovision or color blindness.
“We’re still studying what this means,” Professor Ng said. “But it opens the door to something new. It’s not just a way to see the colour, but also a way to help others see it better.”
So, can you expect to start watching Oro on paint charts and fashion runways soon? Probably not. It exists only with the help of precise laser stimulation, and it is currently impossible to reproduce it on a screen or physical form.
But for lab researchers that have become darker, it is now a colour they will never forget.
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