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Harvard prof argues no student is average and we need to stop insisting otherwise
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Most qualities we need to measure are "jagged," not one dimensional, and defy averages, neuroscientist argues. - photo by Eric Schulzke
No one is average, argues a Harvard educational neuroscientist.

Todd Rose, who teaches educational neuroscience at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, recently co-founded Project Variability, a nonprofit that aims to attack averagism by highlighting "the science of the individual and its implications for education, the workforce, and society." Rose is also the author of a new book, "The End of Average: How We Succeed in a World That Values Sameness."

In his book, Rose cites as a prime historical example of averageness the U.S. Air Force, which in the 1940s estimated the average size of a pilot and tried to build a seat to fit that average, only to find that there were no average pilots. So they built adjustable seats.

Rose's assault on averagism has huge implications for both K-12 and higher education, as both sectors struggle to figure out how to provide education for an increasingly demanding workforce without cramming everyone into standardized education and testing regimes that often miss individual needs and unique abilities.

Rose himself speaks from experience, having dropped out of high school with a 0.9 GPA and was supporting his family on welfare before taking his circuitous route to academia, as the Harvard Gazette noted in a 2013 profile.

Rose tells NPR that standardized testing and regimented curriculum are so embedded in American education that we don't even see them.

"We design textbooks to be age-appropriate, but that means, what does the average kid of this age know and can do? Textbooks that are designed for the average will be a pretty bad fit for most kids," Rose said.

"Then you think of things like the lockstep, grade-based organization of kids, and you end up sitting in a class for a fixed amount of time and get a one-dimensional rating in the form of a grade, and a one-dimensional standardized assessment. It's everything about the way we test and move kids forward."

Rose's book is timely. 2015 will go down at the year that saw large-scale pushback against standardized testing and the demise of the No Child Left Behind Act, which used testing as a key pillar.

The Deseret News has focused extensively on the limits and possibilities of personalized education, including looks at the growth of "microschools" that recreate the 19th Century one room school house, the Sudbury model that mixes age groups and allows kids to drive their own schooling, and Bennington College in Vermont, which does the same with college students.
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.