Scientists have modified the vision of five people for the first time so that they can see a color that was previously inaccessible to the human eye.
This is reported by FastCompany, writes UNN.
Details
According to the media, researchers managed to temporarily change the reaction of cones - light-sensitive cells in the retina of the eye - using lasers. As a result of this experiment, five participants were able to see a new artificially created color that is not perceived by normal vision.
They called this color "olo" - a name derived from the binary code 010, which represents the cones in the eye that are activated during its perception due to this restructuring. It cannot be compared to anything people have seen, because no one has seen it except the five people who participated in the experiment.
As noted in a new study published in the journal Science Advances, the subjects of this experiment agreed to describe it as "a blue-green of unprecedented saturation."
Can a person see new colors?
It is reported that most people see the world through three types of light-sensitive cells in the retina, called cones. They recognize red, green and blue light, allowing us to distinguish between approximately one million and 10 million colors. This is enough to notice the difference between ripe and rotten strawberries or to admire the transition of colors in the sky during sunset.
However, some people, usually women, are lucky enough to be born with a fourth type of cone. In particular, they can see up to 100 million colors, noticing nuances invisible to the rest of us. For example, where we see one shade of green grass, a person with a fourth type of cone can perceive dozens of subtle variations.
However, even among those with a genetic mutation, true tetrachromacy is rare. The brain has to adapt to process this additional input, and most screens cannot display these additional shades.
The experiment participants were unable to see millions of new colors. Instead, they glimpsed one artificial shade. They saw only one new shade - momentarily, and only while the lasers were working. To achieve the effect, it was necessary not to blink and to focus the gaze on a point. The slightest movement of the eyes destroyed perception.