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Getting lost in a book: The science behind the Harry Potter reading addiction
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When a readers tangible world shifts to that of fantasy, it is often called getting lost in a book, and a new study shows that phrase to be more than a metaphor. - photo by istockphoto.com/carneadele

BERLIN — When a reader’s tangible world shifts to that of fantasy, it is often called getting “lost in a book”, and a new study shows that phrase to be more than a metaphor.

A research team from The Free University of Berlin in Germany hypothesized that stories with emotional content drive readers to feel empathy for the protagonists when a special neural network is activated, according to Science Alert.

Since testing their hypothesis required a narrative with a full range of emotions, researchers asked two groups of participants to read passages from a book series that’s broken several book sales records — Harry Potter.

The first group read several short passages under an MRI scanner while the other group read the same passages without being scanned. The second group was to report on how immersed they felt in the story.

Some of the passages induced fear, such as the scene where Harry witnesses Professor Quirrell drinking a unicorn’s blood, while others were emotionally neutral, like when Harry watches his owl, Hedwig, before he falls asleep, Science Alert reported.

Results indicated that the brain’s empathy network, known as the middle cingulate gyrus area of the brain, was more stimulated during fearful scenes as opposed to neutral scenes, according to Medical Daily.

“Descriptions of protagonists' pain or personal distress featured in the fear-inducing passages apparently caused increasing involvement of the core structure of pain and affective empathy the more readers immersed in the text,,” the researchers wrote, according to Fast Company writer Eric Jaffe.

Although the results may not be surprising, the researchers believe they can let scientists know what is going on in a reader’s brain when they are engrossed in a novel, Jaffe wrote.

The researchers describe their study as “the "first attempt to understand the neural mechanisms of immersive reading experience,” Jaffe wrote.

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.