Olo (color): Difference between revisions
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{{Short description| |
{{Short description|Color that is a color}}{{Other uses|OLO (disambiguation)}}[[File:Olo color approximation.jpg|thumb|Most chromatic color inside the [[sRGB]] [[gamut]] that has a similar hue to olo]] |
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'''Olo''' is an [[Impossible color#Imaginary colors|imaginary color]] that can be seen by shooting [[lasers]] into the [[retina]] to isolate the response M [[Cone cell|cone cells]]. |
'''Olo''' is an [[Impossible color#Imaginary colors|imaginary color]] that can be seen by shooting [[lasers]] into the [[retina]] to isolate the response M [[Cone cell|cone cells]]. |
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Revision as of 21:34, 10 June 2025
Olo is an imaginary color that can be seen by shooting lasers into the retina to isolate the response M cone cells.
It is impossible to view under normal viewing conditions, due to the overlap between the wavelengths of light which stimulate M cone cells, and those that stimulate S and L cone cells. In other words, there is no monochromatic stimulus (the purest type of stimulus that humans can perceive) that activates only the M cones. This means that olo is outside the visible gamut. To get around this, researchers mapped a portion of the retina and individually identified each cone cell as either an S, M, or L cone. They then used lasers to deliver tiny doses of light, ideally, exclusively to the M cone cells.[1][2]
The researchers claim that the color corresponding in sRGB to the hexadecimal code #00FFCC, turquoise, is the closest thing to olo inside the sRGB gamut.[2]
Discovery
Olo was discovered in 2025 by scientists at UC Berkeley. The 5 volunteers described it as a blue-green of "unprecedented saturation".[1][3]
The color is named after its theoretical LMS color space coordinates (0, 1, 0), which spells "olo" in leet speak.[4][3]
Five subjects of the Berkeley experiment have officially seen olo.[1][5] Professor Ren Ng, a co-author of the study, described olo as "more saturated than any color that you can see in the real world".[5] Ng and his team are exploring whether the technology used to generate olo could be adapted to enhance color perception in individuals with color blindness. He further suggested that this approach could even lead to a form of enhanced vision known as tetrachromacy, where individuals may perceive a broader range of colors.[6]
Experts in the field have described the technique used to create olo as a significant technical achievement. The Berkeley team generated the color by precisely stimulating individual cone cells in the retina using lasers, creating a color beyond the human visible gamut.[7]
However, some scientists, including Professor John Barbur from City St George's, University of London, have questioned whether olo truly represents a "new" color, noting that its existence is "open to argument".[5] Skepticism within the scientific community regarding the classification of olo as a genuinely novel color has been noted.[3][8]
The concept of olo has drawn attention beyond the scientific community, with artists expressing interest in creating paints inspired by the color. The Berkeley research team has also received global interest, with requests from reporters seeking to experience the phenomenon firsthand.[9]
References
- ^ a b c Fong, James; Doyle, Hannah K.; Wang, Congli; Boehm, Alexandra E.; Herbeck, Sofie R.; Pandiyan, Vimal Prabhu; Schmidt, Brian P.; Tiruveedhula, Pavan; Vanston, John E.; Tuten, William S.; Sabesan, Ramkumar; Roorda, Austin; Ng, Ren (2025-04-18). "Novel color via stimulation of individual photoreceptors at population scale". Science Advances. 11 (16): eadu1052. doi:10.1126/sciadv.adu1052. PMC 12007580. PMID 40249825.
- ^ a b Krywko, Jacek. Parshall, Allison (ed.). "Only Five People Have Seen This New Impossible Color". Scientific American. Retrieved 2025-05-04.
- ^ a b c Sample, Ian (2025-04-18). "Hue new? Scientists claim to have found colour no one has seen before". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2025-05-01.
- ^ Lanese, Nicoletta (2025-04-18). "'Olo' is a brand-new color only ever seen by 5 people". Live Science. Retrieved 2025-05-04.
- ^ a b c "Scientists claim to have discovered 'new colour' no one has seen before". BBC. 19 April 2025. Retrieved 8 May 2025.
- ^ "Have scientists discovered a new colour called 'olo'?". Al Jazeera. 26 April 2025. Retrieved 18 May 2025.
- ^ "Brand-new colour created by tricking human eyes with laser". Nature. 18 April 2025. Retrieved 8 May 2025.
- ^ Hashemi, Sara. "Scientists Say They've Discovered a New Color—an 'Unprecedented' Hue Only Ever Seen by Five People". Smithsonian Magazine. Retrieved 2025-05-04.
- ^ "The 'Profound' Experience of Seeing a New Color". The Atlantic. 23 April 2025. Retrieved 8 May 2025.