BERKELEY, California – Researchers at the University of California and the University of Washington have made a groundbreaking discovery, potentially exposing humans to a whole new spectrum of colors. By creating a prototype called “Oz”, they have found a way to expand the natural human color gamut artificially, offering a glimpse into shades that were previously invisible to the naked eye.
This prototype works by targeting specific cone cells in the retina with a laser to create color messages for the brain that have never been perceived before. Through experiments involving participants fixating on a neutral gray background while being exposed to targeted laser light flashes, researchers were able to generate colors that participants couldn’t match using standard red, green, and blue light combinations.
The team dubbed the new color that participants saw as “olo”, a hue that extends beyond the boundaries of the natural human color spectrum. By controlling the activation of certain photoreceptors in the eye, participants reported seeing a variety of unprecedented colors and imagery, hinting at a potential rainbow of colors that could be visible in videos and images.
While the research team believes their work provides undeniable evidence of a new color palette, some experts, like vision scientist John Barbur from the University of London, remain skeptical. Barbur acknowledges the technological achievement of targeting specific cone cells but questions whether it truly produces entirely new colors or simply intensifies existing ones.
Despite the limitations of the prototype, such as the colors being perceived only at the edges of participants’ vision, the researchers are hopeful that this technology could lead to further insights into the visual system at a cellular level. The ultimate goal is to explore how this innovation could potentially aid individuals with color blindness in the future.
This groundbreaking study, published in Science Advances, marks a significant milestone in the field of vision science and neuroscience, offering a unique experimental platform that aims to revolutionize our understanding of human color perception. Through the Oz prototype, researchers are pioneering a new frontier in neural control, paving the way for further advancements in the manipulation of photoreceptor activation and potentially unlocking the secrets of the human visual system.