In a stunning breakthrough, scientists have announced the discovery of a brand new color, cheekily named 'olo.' But there's a twist—this vibrant hue has only been seen by five individuals worldwide and remains invisible to the naked eye.

Described as a mesmerizing shade of blue-green, 'olo' can only be perceived through cutting-edge technology. Researchers from UC Berkeley and the University of Washington utilized an innovative technique dubbed the Oz Vision System, a nod to the dazzling Emerald City from L. Frank Baum's classic tale, "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz." The system employs laser stimulation to push the boundaries of human color perception.

According to the groundbreaking study published in the journal Science Advances, participants experienced the color when specific laser signals were manipulated within microscopic ranges. By selectively stimulating the M cone cells in their eyes—one of the three types of cone cells responsible for color vision—subjects claimed to perceive this startling shade that scientists labeled 'olo,' corresponding to the binary code 010.

The research team reported, "We name this new color 'olo.' Subjects describe it as a blue-green of unprecedented saturation, especially when viewed against a neutral grey backdrop. They even noted the need to dilute 'olo' with white light to render it closer to existing colors, proving that it exists outside our usual color spectrum."

Professor Ren Ng, a co-author of the study, described their findings as "jaw-dropping," emphasizing that 'olo' is "more saturated than any color found in nature." He elaborated with an analogy: imagine a lifetime of only seeing muted pastel pinks, and then suddenly encountering an intense, vibrant red that redefines your color experience.

While researchers provided a turquoise square as a visual cue to help illustrate 'olo,' they maintained that this color can only be truly experienced with laser-assisted retinal manipulation. Despite the excitement, not everyone is convinced.

John Barbur, a vision scientist from City St George's, University of London, contends that 'olo' isn't a new color but rather a highly saturated shade of green visible only under specific conditions. He has described the study as impressive yet limited in its practical applications.

However, the research team stands firm, believing their discovery will broaden our understanding of visual perception and could even shed light on color blindness and other vision-related ailments. Who knows? In the quest for 'olo,' we may just be unraveling the mysteries of our own perception!

So, while Dorothy may have had her red slippers, there's no doubt: there's no color quite like 'olo.'