Scientists Claim to Discover New Colour That No Human Has Ever Seen Before
A team of researchers in the US claim to have discovered a new colour that no human has ever seen before. The research, published in the journal Science Advances, follows an experiment in which researchers had laser pulses fired into their eyes. By stimulating specific cells in the retina, the participants claim to have witnessed a blue-green colour that scientists have called “olo”.
The study’s co-author, Prof Ren Ng from the University of California, described the findings as “remarkable”. He and his colleagues believe that the results could potentially further research into colour blindness. Prof Ng, who was one of five people to take part in the experiment, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that olo was “more saturated than any colour that you can see in the real world”.
According to Prof Ng, the new colour is similar to a saturated shade of blue-green, but it cannot be seen by the naked eye without the help of stimulation. “Let’s say you go around your whole life and you see only pink, baby pink, a pastel pink,” he said. “And then one day you go to the office and someone’s wearing a shirt, and it’s the most intense baby pink you’ve ever seen, and they say it’s a new colour and we call it red.”
During the team’s experiment, researchers shone a laser beam into the pupil of one eye of each participant. There were five participants in the study – four male and one female – who all had normal colour vision. Three of the participants, including Prof Ng, were co-authors of the research paper. The participants looked into a device called Oz, which consists of mirrors, lasers, and optical devices.
The retina is a light-sensitive layer of tissue at the back of the eye responsible for receiving and processing visual information. It converts light into electrical signals, which are then transmitted to the brain via the optic nerve, enabling us to see. The retina includes cone cells, which are cells responsible for perceiving colour. There are three types of cone cells in the eye – S, L, and M – and each one is sensitive to different wavelengths of blue, red, and green respectively.
In normal vision, any light that stimulates an M cone cell must also stimulate its neighbouring L and/or S cones, because its function overlaps with them. However, in the study, the laser only stimulated M cones, “which in principle would send a colour signal to the brain that never occurs in natural vision”, according to the research paper. This means the colour olo could not be seen by a person’s naked eye in the real world without the help of specific stimulation.
To verify the colour observed during the experiment, each participant adjusted a controllable colour dial until it matched olo. Some experts, however, say the new perceived colour is a “matter of interpretation”. Prof John Barbur, a vision scientist at City St George’s, University of London, who was not involved in the study, said that while the research is a “technological feat” in stimulating selective cone cells, the discovery of a new colour is “open to argument”.
Prof Barbur explained that if, for example, the red cone cells (L) were stimulated in large numbers, people would “perceive a deep red”, but the perceived brightness may change depending on changes to red cone sensitivity, which is not unlike what happened in this study. However, Prof Ng admitted that although olo is “certainly very technically difficult” to see, the team is studying the findings to see what it could potentially mean for colour blind people, who find it difficult to distinguish between certain colours.
The study’s findings have sparked debate in the scientific community, with some experts questioning whether the discovery of a new colour is truly valid. However, Prof Ng and his team remain confident that their research has uncovered a previously unknown colour that could have significant implications for our understanding of colour perception.
According to the BBC, which first reported on the story, the researchers used a device called Oz to stimulate the cone cells in the retina. The device uses mirrors, lasers, and optical devices to flash a laser beam into the pupil of one eye. The participants then adjusted a colour dial to match the colour they saw.
The researchers believe that their findings could lead to new treatments for colour blindness, a condition that affects millions of people worldwide. Colour blindness is usually inherited and affects a person’s ability to distinguish between certain colours. The researchers hope that their discovery could lead to new ways of treating colour blindness and improving colour vision.
As reported by the BBC, the study’s co-author Prof Ng said that the team is now studying the findings to see what it could potentially mean for colour blind people. The team is also exploring the possibility of using the device to treat other visual disorders.
In conclusion, the discovery of a new colour by a team of researchers in the US has sparked debate in the scientific community. While some experts question the validity of the discovery, Prof Ng and his team remain confident that their research has uncovered a previously unknown colour that could have significant implications for our understanding of colour perception.
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