Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley have made headlines with the introduction of a new color termed ‘olo’.
This color is said to exhibit an unprecedented saturation while maintaining a hue firmly in the blue-green spectrum.
However, the debate arises: can olo genuinely be classified as a ‘novel color’?
The study’s authors assert that olo is particularly striking when viewed against a neutral gray background, which enhances its saturation contrast.
Participants in the study reported that in order to match olo with the closest monochromatic light, they had to dilute it by adding white light, demonstrating that olo’s properties extend beyond typical color ranges.
Color names that subjects associated with olo included terms like ‘teal,’ ‘green,’ ‘blue-greenish,’ and ‘green, a little blue.’
Notably, the participants rated olo’s saturation as 4 out of 4, a significant increase compared to an average of 2.9 for other nearby monochromatic colors of similar hue.
The perception of color is a complex phenomenon, reliant on how specific wavelengths of light stimulate the cone cells in our retinas.
Human eyes consist of three types of cone photoreceptors: short-wavelength (S), middle-wavelength (M), and long-wavelength (L), each of which has overlapping spectral sensitivities.
Due to this overlap, the range and saturation of colors that we can perceive are inherently limited.
The breakthrough study utilized a laser technique, named Oz, to stimulate a specific cone type directly.
By directing a focused beam of laser light at the M cone cells, researchers were able to elicit unique responses from study subjects, causing them to perceive the color as an exceptionally saturated blue-green.
Furthermore, this innovative approach enabled the researchers to stimulate thousands of individual cones, thus creating visuals that were previously unattainable.
Traditional color technologies rely on spectral metamerism, wherein different wavelengths of light are mixed to achieve desired colors.
This method has historical roots dating back to 1861, when James Clerk Maxwell demonstrated layering red, green, and blue images to create vibrant visuals.
Conversely, the Oz method leverages spatial metamerism, which manipulates how light is spatially distributed across the retina instead of adjusting the light spectrum itself.
The implications of this research are not just limited to the creation of yellows, reds, and blues, but rather pave the way for a broader spectrum of colors using a single monochromatic light source.
While experts acknowledge the potential breakthroughs presented in this study, they also note that the concept of stimulating individual cones is not entirely unfamiliar in the field.
Dr. Misha Corobyew, a Senior Lecturer in Optometry and Vision Science at The University of Auckland, commented that stimulating only M cones typically elicits a saturated greenish-blue perception.
He added that traditional methods require much more complexity due to the physiological limitations of cone overlap.
Dr. Corobyew explains that adaptive optics, a technique used in astronomy for observing stars, can help resolve some of these challenges.
The novelty of this new study, he asserts, lies in its method of simultaneously stimulating multiple individual cones and creating complex images.
Such advancements could have profound implications for color perception and display technologies in the future.
The findings from this research may not only redefine color creation but could also enhance our understanding of visual perception more broadly.
As research continues, the scientific community eagerly awaits further developments surrounding the enigmatic ‘olo’ and its possible applications.
image source from：https://www.iflscience.com/a-new-color-scientists-claim-olo-is-like-nothing-youve-ever-seen-before-78874
