It’s called ‘olo’, it’s more vivid than anything on Earth, and it took lasers to the eyeballs to find it.
In the latest episode of science goes rogue, a team of researchers from the US claim they’ve discovered something wild: a colour no human has ever seen before. Yep, a brand new hue—dubbed olo—that apparently doesn’t exist in nature or on your screen. And no, it’s not a fancy shade of teal.
Published in Science Advances, the research involved blasting laser pulses directly into participants’ eyes to stimulate very specific cells in the retina. By targeting just one type of colour receptor—without triggering the others—scientists say they unlocked a colour our brains simply don’t have access to in normal life.
MORE: Scientists Just Built Ridiculously Cute Tiny VR Headsets for Mice
DISCOVER: 5 Tips for Instant Skin Glow from a Scientist’s Perspective
One of the researchers, Professor Ren Ng from the University of California, took part in the experiment himself and described olo as “more saturated than any colour that you can see in the real world.” On BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, he explained: “Let’s say you go around your whole life and you see only pink, baby pink, a pastel pink… and then one day someone walks in wearing a shirt that’s the most intense baby pink you’ve ever seen, and they say it’s a new colour and we call it red.”
Sounds trippy? It is.
Here’s how it worked: using a device called Oz—a contraption made up of mirrors, lasers and optical tools—scientists precisely stimulated M-cones, one of the three types of cone cells in the retina responsible for colour vision. Normally, these cones overlap in function, meaning M-cones (green-sensitive) are always activated alongside their neighbours, S-cones (blue) and L-cones (red).
The colour ‘Olo’
MORE: The Squalene Found in Beauty Products Endangers Sharks Says New Scientific Study
DISCOVER: I Tried the World’s First AI-yurvedic Skin Scan: Here’s What Happened
But with laser precision (literally), researchers activated just the M-cones, sending a colour signal to the brain that it had never processed on its own before. The result? Something new—something not previously perceived by the human eye.
To verify it, participants used a digital colour dial to recreate the colour they saw. All of them pointed to the same new, intensely blue-green shade: olo.
Of course, not everyone’s sold. Vision scientist Professor John Barbur, who wasn’t involved in the study, says the results are impressive but not definitive: “The discovery of a new colour is open to argument,” he said, explaining that colour perception can vary with the sensitivity of cone cells.
MORE: The Science Behind Coperni’s Ultra-Light, Space-Age Tote
DISCOVER: Are UV Lamps Bad For Your Nails: Here’s What The Science Says
Still, Prof Ng says the breakthrough could have real-world value—especially for people who are colour blind. If olo is proof that our brains can process more than we thought, future tech might help expand the palette.
So, will olo be the next big thing in fashion? Probably not yet. But it’s a dazzling reminder that our eyes haven’t seen everything—literally.
Some of the products and services featured in this article may be from our affiliate partners, which means we may earn a small commission if you make a purchase through these links — at no extra cost to you. Our editorial team only spotlights what we genuinely love and think you will, too.
17 responses to “Scientists Have Just Found A ‘New Colour’ That’s Never Been Seen Until Now”
-
… [Trackback]
[…] Read More on on that Topic: themodems.com/lifestyle/scientists-have-found-a-new-colour-never-been-seen-until-now/ […]
-
… [Trackback]
[…] Here you can find 57707 more Info on that Topic: themodems.com/lifestyle/scientists-have-found-a-new-colour-never-been-seen-until-now/ […]
-
… [Trackback]
[…] Find More Info here on that Topic: themodems.com/lifestyle/scientists-have-found-a-new-colour-never-been-seen-until-now/ […]
-
… [Trackback]
[…] Read More on on that Topic: themodems.com/lifestyle/scientists-have-found-a-new-colour-never-been-seen-until-now/ […]
-
… [Trackback]
[…] Find More to that Topic: themodems.com/lifestyle/scientists-have-found-a-new-colour-never-been-seen-until-now/ […]
-
… [Trackback]
[…] Read More Info here to that Topic: themodems.com/lifestyle/scientists-have-found-a-new-colour-never-been-seen-until-now/ […]
-
… [Trackback]
[…] Read More Information here on that Topic: themodems.com/lifestyle/scientists-have-found-a-new-colour-never-been-seen-until-now/ […]
-
… [Trackback]
[…] There you will find 1985 more Information to that Topic: themodems.com/lifestyle/scientists-have-found-a-new-colour-never-been-seen-until-now/ […]
-
This content is incredibly informative.
-
This should be featured everywhere.
-
Bookmarking this for later.
-
… [Trackback]
[…] Find More on on that Topic: themodems.com/lifestyle/scientists-have-found-a-new-colour-never-been-seen-until-now/ […]
-
… [Trackback]
[…] Info on that Topic: themodems.com/lifestyle/scientists-have-found-a-new-colour-never-been-seen-until-now/ […]
-
… [Trackback]
[…] Information to that Topic: themodems.com/lifestyle/scientists-have-found-a-new-colour-never-been-seen-until-now/ […]
-
… [Trackback]
[…] Find More on on that Topic: themodems.com/lifestyle/scientists-have-found-a-new-colour-never-been-seen-until-now/ […]
-
… [Trackback]
[…] Find More Information here to that Topic: themodems.com/lifestyle/scientists-have-found-a-new-colour-never-been-seen-until-now/ […]
-
… [Trackback]
[…] Find More Info here to that Topic: themodems.com/lifestyle/scientists-have-found-a-new-colour-never-been-seen-until-now/ […]
Leave a Comment