Scientists Discover Unseen Color Named ‘Olo’

Berkeley, California — A research team from the University of California, Berkeley, and the University of Washington has announced the discovery of a new color, named ‘olo’, which cannot be seen with the naked eye. This groundbreaking finding was published in the journal Science Advances on April 18, 2025.

The researchers developed a technique called Oz, which uses laser pulses to stimulate specific cells in the retina, particularly the M cones, which detect green wavelengths. Unlike other colors we see, there is no natural light that stimulates the M cones alone. This unique mechanism allowed them to create a color signal that the brain has never experienced before.

Ren Ng, an electrical engineer at Berkeley, described the moment as “jaw-dropping” and noted that the color is incredibly saturated. He explained, “We predicted from the beginning that it would look like an unprecedented color signal but we didn’t know what the brain would do with it.”

Five subjects were able to see olo under experimental conditions. All participants reported it as a teal or green-blue shade unlike anything they had seen before. According to James Carl Fong, a doctoral student involved in the research, the experience of seeing olo is like finding a new level of saturation in color.

Ng emphasized that olo cannot be displayed on screens, stating, “We’re not going to see olo on any smartphone displays or any TVs any time soon.”

Some experts, however, remain skeptical. They argue that olo may simply be a more saturated version of green rather than an entirely new color. John Barbur, a vision scientist at the University of London, acknowledges the study’s innovative approach but calls its conclusions into question.

The researchers hope that the Oz technique may open avenues for aiding those with color blindness or other vision impairments in the future. As they continue their work, they are excited about the prospects of further exploring human vision.

In summary, the discovery of olo may redefine our understanding of color perception and expand the limits of human sight.

_{Images are for reference only.Images and contents gathered automatic from google or 3rd party sources.All rights on the images and contents are with their legal original owners.}