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A quick look at the royal familys finances for 2017-18
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Britain's Queen Elizabeth II, centre and members of the Royal family arrive for the Easter Mattins Service at St. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, in Windsor, England, Sunday, April 1, 2018. (Tolga Akmen/Pool Photo via AP) - photo by Herb Scribner
Herb Scribner
Deseret News
Published: Jun 29, 2018, 9:59 AM
Yes, the British royal family made some more money last year.

A new set of documents published Thursday revealed how the royal family spent, distributed and earned its money for the financial year that ended March 31, according to CNNMoney.

The report is thick with information. And it showed the budget for William, Kate and Harry jumped by 40 percent to roughly $6.6 million.

The report showed Prince Charles and his wife, Camilla, saw their spending jump by 10 percent.

The couple made $28.6 million in the fiscal year, which is 5 percent higher than the previous year.

The queen of England received a pay increase too, which means taxpayers gave more money to the royal family.

The Huffington Post UK reported taxpayer funds are sent to the Sovereign Grant, which collects revenue from the Crown Estate and pays for expenditures for the queen and renovations to Buckingham Palace.

The total amount of the sovereign grant increased from 42.8 million ($55.9 million) to 45.7 million ($59.7 million), according to HuffPost UK.

In fact, according to BBC News, more than 4 million ($5.2 million) was spent on improving the palace, while an additional 21.4 ($27.9 million) went toward payroll costs.

During the aforementioned financial year, the queen's expenditures jumped 13 percent.

Sir Michael Stevens, who oversees the royal familys finances, told HuffPost UK the increased spending comes from a rising family size.

There are three generations of the royal family at work together in support of the queen, he said. Each generation brings its own style and personality. What everyone shares is a desire for the monarchy to reflect and serve all parts of our country and the wider Commonwealth.

Theres a lot to unpack with all of these finances. Head over to CNN for a good interview of what the two new documents share about the royal familys finances.
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.