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Have You Seen This? Elementary school kids break unbelievable jump rope record
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These Japanese elementary school students make breaking a world record look easy. - photo by Mary Dalrymple
Mary Dalrymple
KSL.com
Published: Jun 25, 2017, 3:51 AM


FUJI, Japan When I was in elementary school, my friends and I were the nerdy kids who played jump rope games at recess instead of soccer (that is, when we werent doing homework or helping our teacher out in the classroom I wasnt exaggerating the nerdy part).

Our games usually involved some sort of song or rhyme, and our tricks were about as elaborate as spinning around or touching the ground between jumps. Needless to say, my friends and I were nowhere near as cool or talented as the kids in this video.

The Guinness World Records video features 14 students from Fuji Municipal Harada Elementary School in Japan who just broke an unbelievable record for skips over a single rope in one minute by a team.

The video shows the 12 jumpers on the team running in a single file line, then seamlessly jumping through the rope at what is basically lightning speed. A jump rope video might not sound that exciting, but trust me, youll want to watch this one. These kids make breaking a world record look easy.

This team ended up setting the record at 225 group skips in one minute, with each team member leaping over the rope more than 18 times. The previous record was set at 217 skips in 2013 by another group of Japanese elementary school 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
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.