Scientists Announce Discovery of a “New Color That Doesn’t Exist in Nature”

A team of U.S. researchers claims to have unveiled a color previously imperceptible to the human eye. They detailed their findings in an article published in Science Advances, which caught the attention of the BBC.

The color emerged during an experiment in which participants’ pupils were stimulated with laser pulses. The laser light activated M-cone cells in the retina, which are responsible for perceiving green light. In everyday life, these cells work in tandem with S- and L-cones, enabling humans to see blue and red hues as well.

This targeted stimulation allowed participants to perceive a “color signal unattainable through ordinary vision.” The newfound shade, dubbed “olo,” was described by participants as a “vivid blue-green hue, more intense than any color found in nature.”

Professor Ren Ng from the University of California likened the experience to a hypothetical discovery of a new color: “Imagine seeing only pastel pink your entire life, and then someone reveals a dazzlingly vibrant shade and calls it red.”

Professor Ng acknowledged that reproducing “olo” without specialized equipment is impossible, but his team is exploring the method’s potential to aid those with colorblindness. “If we can understand how the brain processes such signals, it could pave the way for new therapeutic approaches,” he said.

However, the discovery has its skeptics. Professor John Barbur, a visual perception expert from City St George’s, University of London, argues that it’s premature to declare the discovery of a new color.

He suggests that when cone cells are stimulated in isolation, the brain may interpret the signal as a familiar color, though its depth and vibrancy could vary depending on sensitivity to green, blue, or red hues.