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Have You Seen This? Ditching fidget spinner trend with Rube Goldberg
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Say goodbye to the fidget spinner trend with the beauty of a Rube Goldberg machine. - photo by Martha Ostergar
Martha Ostergar
KSL.com
Published: Mar 21, 2018, 1:09 PM
IN MEMORANDUM You may not remember the day you first heard about fidget spinners, but you may remember the day when you felt like you wish youd never heard about them.

But thats the deal with trends, right? Especially trends adopted by youths and young adults. Its ALL Pokemon Go all the time; its ALL fidget spinners all the time; or its ALL JNCO jeans all the time. At least, thats what it feels like if you havent boarded the train of any given trend.

Sure, there will always be those who continue with the trend because theyve truly found something that speaks to them. And we can be happy for and supportive toward these people. After all, its no skin off our noses if they love something we dont.

But for the rest of us, when a trend finally dissipates, we feel a sense of relief and maybe even a new zest for life.

To take the sense of relief a step further, YouTube user Kaplamino made a video to officially say goodbye to the fidget spinner trend. And its arguably a beautiful tribute.

In the video, Kaplamino shows off a Rube Goldberg machine made with marbles, ball bearings, and fidget spinners. Frankly, no matter how rudimentary these type of machines are, they tend to encapsulate a creative grace and beauty. So even if it is made up of fidget spinners, a Rube Goldberg machine is a great choice of medium for a tribute.

This particular machine has a nice, slow rhythm that lets the sense of anticipation build, creating a mesmerizing and effective experience. Basically, even if fidget spinners were your version of nails on a chalkboard, you just might find a sense of peace and closure when you watch this video.
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.