According to Pantone, most people can see around one million different colors. Now, imagine a color you’ve never seen before. Hard to picture, right?

In an exciting new discovery, scientists at the University of California, Berkeley have found a brand new color they call “olo” using laser technology. Described as a “profoundly saturated teal” that doesn’t exist in the natural world, it’s changing the way we perceive colors and opening new avenues in vision science.

The discovery happened when professors Austin Roorda and Ren Ng used a special machine they invented called “Oz.” This device sends tiny beams of laser light to specific cells in the human eye. These cells, called cones, are what let us see different colors. The “L” cones in our eyes detect longer wavelengths of light, which we perceive as red. “M” cones pick up medium wavelengths, allowing us to see green, while “S” cones are sensitive to shorter wavelengths and let us see blue (American Academy of Ophthalmology).

Normally, our brain mixes signals from different cones to create the colors we know, like mixing blue and red to see purple. But with the Oz machine, the researchers were able to artificially target just one type of cone at a time. When they only stimulated the “M” cone, people began reporting that they saw a vivid, intense teal-like color that didn’t look like anything they had ever seen before (Smithsonian Magazine). Emma Wang (10) comments that “It’s so interesting to see that undiscovered colors still exist. I feel like we’ve seen it all, but apparently not.”

This color was then dubbed “olo” by the five people who saw it. It makes the most saturated color in the real world seem pale when put side by side. Scientists have already thought of more applications for this groundbreaking technology. Other than helping explain how our brains create visual perceptions of the world, some say it has the potential to enable color-blind patients to see red and green. There is also interest in replicating animals’ photoreceptors on human subjects to see what different animals see, like dogs or goldfish (Scientific American). 

Krishaa Seth (10) says, “I want to see olo in real life if given the chance because I would love to be able to see a color and match a name to the newly discovered shade.” However, bringing olo to the real world won’t be easy. For now, it can only be seen using the Oz laser technology in a lab, so don’t expect to find olo in your crayon box or TV any time soon.

The discovery of olo is a strong reminder that there are still countless mysteries left to be unfolded. Even in the year of 2025, people are still making findings that can change the world. Olo reminds us that our universe might be way more colorful and way more surprising than we ever imagined.