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Data you can't ignore: Americans are nearly as worried about religious hatred as they are income ine
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The survey asked people from the Middle East, Europe, Asia, Latin America, Africa and the United States what they believe to be the biggest global threat. Religious hatred was the second biggest concern for Americans, with 24 percent of votes. - photo by Jan van den Brink, istockphoto.com/Killroy

Americans see religious hatred as a serious concern for the world, according to a Pew Research Center survey.

The survey asked people from the Middle East, Europe, Asia, Latin America, Africa and the United States what they believe to be the biggest global threat. Religious hatred was the second biggest concern for Americans, with 24 percent of votes.

Ranking first on American minds was income inequality with 27 percent — which isn’t surprising given America's overall grim outlook on the economy.

“Taking the median percentages across the 28 countries surveyed in both 2007 and 2014, there has been a shift toward concerns about religious and ethnic hatred as the world’s top problem,” Pew reported.

The United States only came in behind the Middle East (34 percent) in concern over religious hatred. The Middle East and the United States have both been snarled in wars tied to religious factions — like the Iraq war or thecurrent ISIS crisis — that have also included concerns over nuclear weapons, the third biggest concern for the U.S., according to the survey.

Email: hscribner@deseretdigital.com
Twitter: @herbscribner

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.