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Book review: 'The Impossible Fortress' a lighthearted coming-of-age tale based in the '80s
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No Caption - photo by Herb Scribner
"THE IMPOSSIBLE FORTRESS," by Jason Rekulak, Simon & Schuster, $24, 304 pages (f) (ages 16 and up)

The Impossible Fortress proves to be a little more optimistic than its title would suggest, as whats seemingly impossible becomes possible.

The new Jason Rekulak novel, which found its way to Entertainment Weeklys Most Anticipated Books of 2017 list, is about a boy named Billy and his two friends Alf and Clark, who devise a heist plan to steal a Playboy magazine from a local general store.

The hiccup? Billys tasked with obtaining information from the store managers daughter, Mary. And they end up falling in love.

The books a great throwback to early 80s culture. It includes a host of cultural references to that time period, including nods to TV shows such as Alf and old-school video games like Pac-Man. Its also a nod to early technological feats, as the novel focuses on a boys dream to build a video game using his Commodore 64. Part romance, part coming-of-age tale, the novel will have readers smiling gleefully, even at its darkest moments.

As crazy as the plot sounds, it's a little calmer than it seems. The story puts this group of boys in an impossible situation yet makes it possible for them to handle. What seems like a pipe-dream heist and goal to steal the magazine becomes entirely within reach, and the book spends a good chunk of time dealing with the consequences of that reality.

The book does have some drawbacks, though. The entire plot surrounds the boys plan to steal a Playboy, which is described several times over by the boys. And while this may be an inside joke about adolescents, it wont sit well with parents or young adults who want to avoid mentions of pornography. Details about robbery, smoking cigarettes and lying to law enforcement also make the book not so family friendly.

That said, its still an entertaining read that captures the true essence of what its like to grow up and have a first crush. Anyone who wants to hark back to the days of their childhood will enjoy the read.

The Impossible Fortress contains mild profanity, sexual situations, mild acts of violence and mentions of pornographic material.
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
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.