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Have You Seen This? Charming toddler gratitude
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A toddler is adorably grateful well, mostly when she get her perfect birthday present. - photo by Martha Ostergar
GRATEFUL TOWN Now that Halloween is one day behind us, its time to turn our minds to the Thanksgiving season.

If youre like me, youre looking forward to eating so much that you get sick and vow never to eat that much again. You know, until Christmas, anyway.

But if youre a more mature adult than I, or a child that has always acted older than she really is, then youre probably more focused on gratitude.

Provo mother Amanda Collier said her daughter, Savannah, had been asking for a bike leading up to her second birthday.

Anytime anyone mentioned (Savannahs) birthday, she would inform them that she was getting a bike, Amanda said. I think we were as anxious as she was. Not just to give the bike to her, but to see her reaction.

In Amandas words, her daughter is the perfect mix of sassy and sweet, an ideal combination for great reactions to new or surprising situations.

She has the best personality and at a young age developed a great sense of humor. She is constantly making us laugh and has always acted older than she really is, Amanda said. She is very polite and grateful, and once she even thanked me for putting her in timeout.

You only have to watch the video to see that Savannahs mother knows her well, as the tots reaction is entirely sweet with a heavy dose of thank yous and a heaping helping of sass added for good measure. (Sorry, mom.)

Her reaction was far better than we could have ever imagined and NOT what we expected from a two year old, Amanda said. It was definitely worth the wait to see how happy and excited she was. That moment can never be recreated, so we are so glad we caught it on camera.
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.