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Georgia town wants to create a city called 'Amazon' to win 2nd headquarters
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Georgia has offered to create a city, called Amazon, for the home of Amazons second headquarters. - photo by Herb Scribner
Herb Scribner
Deseret News special workflow
Published: Oct 7, 2017, 4:01 PM
Hundreds of cities across the United States have applied to be the home of Amazons second headquarters.

But few have gone as far as a community in Georgia, which has offered to create a city, called Amazon, for the expansion site, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

The Stonecrest City Council voted 4-2 on Monday to allow 345 acres of land to become the site of Amazons new headquarters. The company hopes to open a second site somewhere outside Seattle, adding thousands of jobs to whatever city wins the application process.

Stonecrests resolution hopes the Georgia General Assembly will form the city of Amazon within that donated acreage to lure the online retailer to the state.

There are several major U.S. cities that want Amazon, but none has the branding opportunity we are now offering this visionary company, said Stonecrest Mayor Jason Lary. How could you not want your 21st century headquarters to be located in a city named Amazon?

Stonecrest officials said the city plans to submit a bid for the new headquarters.

Utah has also expressed interest in placing a bid for the new Amazon headquarters, according to the Deseret News.

Critics told the Deseret News that offering too many incentives to lure businesses ends up hurting states, though.

The results end up costing too much, which hurts states.

"State and local governments have been in a destructive race to attract capital and have been spending and squandering resources in these pursuits," Iowa State University economist David Swenson told the Deseret News. "It's frequently the case that these deals don't pencil out and the recipients never generate the kind of economic activity that makes the taxpayers whole again."

Still, The New York Times ran a slew of cities through the gamut, trying to identify which city would be perfect for Amazons new headquarters.

Denver won the race.

The region has the benefits of places like San Francisco and Seattle outdoor recreation, microbreweries, diversity and a culture of inclusion (specifically cited by Amazon) but the cost of living is still low enough to make it affordable, and lots of big-city refugees have been moving there for this reason. Amazon would be smart to follow them, according to The New York Times.
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.