Using a special laser, a team of researchers managed to “convince the eyes” to see a new color. The device, called OZ, allowed people to see a new shade of blue-green, which say it is more intense than any other previously experienced.
Five people witnessed a color intense green-blue never before seen by humans, thanks to a device that can once allow people with a type of colorblindness Have a normal view.
A color perception It is done through the retina, on the back of the eye, which usually contains three types of light detecting cells – called s, m and l – that absorb a range of blue, green or red light, respectively, and then send signals to the brain.
When we see anything at the green-green end of the visible spectrum, at least two types of conical cells are activated At the same time, because there is some overlap in the wavelengths they detect.
The mathematician Ren ngprofessor at the University of California, was questioned about the color that people would realize If just a type of cone be activated in this part of the spectrum.
According to, ng was inspired In a device called OZdeveloped by other researchers who study the functioning of the eye, who uses a laser able of stimulate individual cone cells.
Ng and his colleagues, including the scientists who built the OZ, improved the device so that it could Emit light to a small square with about 1000 Cone Cells on Retina. Stimulating a single Cone cell does not generate enough signal to induce color perception, says NG.
The investigators tested the improved version in five peoplestimulating Only the M Cones in this small area of one eyewhile the other was closed.
Participants said that saw a blue-green colorwhich the researchers called olowhich was more intense than anyone else they had seen before. “It is difficult to describe; It’s very bright“, Says NG, that also saw the olo.
To check these results, participants took a color correspondence test.
Each of them saw Olo and a second color which could be adjusted through a selector for any tone of the standard spectrum until it corresponded as much as possible to the Olo. They all selected until an intense blue-petroleum color, which confirms that they saw the olo as they described it.
In another experience, participants used a dial to add white light to the olo or a living blue color until they approached even closer. All participants diluted the olo, which confirms that It is the most intense of both shades.
The results of the were presented in an article published on Friday in the magazine Science Advances.
This is not the first time that scientists have stimulated individual cone cells. But this time it was done in a large enough area to substantially change a person’s view.
“What is new in this study It is the evidence that these new colors can, in fact, be perceived, ”explains Sérgio Nascimentophysicist specializing in human vision of the University of Minho, quoted by.
The work is “amazing from the technical point of view”And an“ extraordinary feat ”, he says in his turn Kimberly JamesonChromatic Vision Scientist at the University of California.
Andrew Stockmanresearcher at University College London, describes the study as “a little fun“, But with possible medical applications. For example, the device may one day allow the People with color blindness Verde, which have difficulty distinguishing between these colors, have a normal view.
“The disease is sometimes caused by activating the M and L cones by very similar wavelengths, so the stimulation of one over the other could allow people see a wider range of tonesAlthough this has to be tested in rehearsals, ”says Stockman.
