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Have You Seen This? Fastest banjo player will blow you away
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Its hard to imagine the training it mustve taken to become this mind-bendingly fast. - photo by Martha Ostergar
Martha Ostergar
KSL.com
Published: Apr 2, 2017, 9:40 AM
FOOLS FIELD It takes an unimaginable amount of work to be the best, brightest or fastest at something.

Sometimes people spend their whole lives trying to shatter a record or otherwise dominate in their chosen activity or niche. It can turn into a bit of a sticky wicket, though, because striving for excellence is encouraged, but becoming obsessed with being the best isnt always healthy.

Just ask the self-proclaimed fastest banjo player, Kurt Quinn. In this video, he shows us what hes made of and what it means to be the fastest banjo player.

His sheer speed will astound you, and his strained efforts will impress you. However, as a fair warning, after you watch this video, you may never be able to feel good about yourself, again. Hes just too glorious to behold.

Even though he beats the record, Quinn surprisingly admits at the end that it was too hard, too grueling, and none of his efforts were worth it.

OK, fine. This year-old video is instead a delightful play on words and turns into a goofy joke. Did you think I wouldnt try and slip one by you on April Fools Day? Even if being fast with a banjo isnt Quinns forte, the video is still pretty funny.

If you want to see what it really looks like to be an incredibly fast banjo player, check out Todd Taylor becoming the Guinness World Records holder in 2009, playing at 210 beats per minute.
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.