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10 new words added to the dictionary in the past 10 years
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Emoji, meme and jegging are just a few of the new words now in the Merriam-Webster dictionary turning them from slang and passing fads into official words. - photo by Shelby Slade
Shel Slade
Deseret News
Published: May 29, 2015, 4:19 PM
Emoji, meme and jegging are just a few of the new words now in the Merriam-Webster dictionary, turning them from slang and passing fads into official words.

Merriam-Webster, and many other dictionaries, add new words into their lexicon each year, and some stand out from the rest for their relevance to pop culture and efforts in defining society.

Heres a list of 10 new words that have been added to dictionaries in the past 10 years, according to Merriam-Webster and Mental Floss:

Tweep

Definition: "A person who uses the Twitter online message service to send and receive tweets." This word was added to the Merriam-Websters Collegiate Edition in 2014.

Gassed

Definition: "Drained of energy: spent, exhausted." This word was added to the Merriam-Websters Collegiate Edition in 2012.

Frenemy

Definition: "One who pretends to be a friend but is actually an enemy." This word was added to the Merriam-Websters Collegiate Edition in 2009.

Helicopter Parent

Definition: "A parent who is overly involved in the life of his or her child." This word was added to the Merriam-Websters Collegiate Edition in 2011.

Wingnut

Definition: "One who advocates extreme measures or changes : radical." This word was added to the Merriam-Websters Collegiate Edition in 2008.

Air quotes

Definition: "A gesture made by raising and flexing the index and middle fingers of both hands that is used to call attention to a spoken word or expression." This word was added to the Merriam-Websters Collegiate Edition in 2008.

Ginormous

Definition: "Extremely large : humongous." This word was added to the Merriam-Websters Collegiate Edition in 2007.

Doh

Definition: "Exclamation used to comment on a foolish or stupid action, especially ones own." This was added to the Oxford English Dictionary 2001.

Grrrl

Definition: "A young woman regarded as independent and strong or aggressive, especially in her attitude to men or in her sexuality." This was added to the Oxford English Dictionary 2009.

Muggle

Definition: "A person who is not conversant with a particular activity or skill." This was added to the Oxford English Dictionary 2003.
Its toxic: New study says blue light from tech devices can speed up blindness
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A new study from the University of Toledo found that blue light from digital devices can transform molecules in your eyes retina into cell killers. - photo by Herb Scribner
Herb Scribner
Deseret News
Published: Aug 13, 2018, 1:39 PM
It turns out checking Twitter or Facebook before bed is bad for your health.

A new study from the University of Toledo found that blue light from digital devices can transform molecules in your eyes retina into cell killers.

That process can lead to age-related macular degeneration, which is a leading cause of blindness in the United States, according to the researchs extract.

Blue light is a common issue for many modern Americans. Blue light is emitted from screens, most notably at night, causing sleep loss, eye strain and a number of other issues.

Dr. Ajith Karunarathne, assistant professor in the UT Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, said our constant exposure to blue light cant be blocked by the lens or cornea.

"It's no secret that blue light harms our vision by damaging the eye's retina. Our experiments explain how this happens, and we hope this leads to therapies that slow macular degeneration, such as a new kind of eye drop, he said.

Macular degeneration is an incurable eye disease that often affects those in their 50s or 60s. It occurs after the death of photoreceptor cells in the retina. Those cells need retinal to sense light and help signal the brain.

The research team found blue light exposure created poisonous chemical molecules that killed photoreceptor cells

"It's toxic. If you shine blue light on retinal, the retinal kills photoreceptor cells as the signaling molecule on the membrane dissolves," said Kasun Ratnayake, a Ph.D. student researcher working in Karunarathne's cellular photo chemistry group. "Photoreceptor cells do not regenerate in the eye. When they're dead, they're dead for good."

However, the researchers found a molecule called alpha-tocopherol, which comes from Vitamin E, can help prevent cell death, according to Futurism.

The researchers plan to review how light from TVs, cellphones and tablet screens affect the eyes as well.

"If you look at the amount of light coming out of your cellphone, it's not great but it seems tolerable," said Dr. John Payton, visiting assistant professor in the UT Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. "Some cellphone companies are adding blue-light filters to the screens, and I think that is a good idea."

Indeed, Apple released a Night Shift mode two years ago to help quell blue lights strain on the eyes, according to The Verge. The screen will dim into a warmer, orange light that will cause less stress on the eyes.