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Have You Seen This? Former NASA engineer makes massive NERF gun
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Mark Rober who used to work as an engineer for NASA has invented the worlds largest functioning NERF gun and hes showing it off on his YouTube channel. - photo by Angie Treasure
Angie Treasure
KSL.com
Published: Jun 28, 2016, 1:01 PM
NERF HEAVEN Remember the patron saint of uncles everywhere who spent his winter developing a snowball machine gun so he could mercilessly pelt his nephews? Well, hes back, and his newest invention may be his best yet.

Mark Rober who used to work as an engineer for NASA, by the way has invented the worlds largest functioning NERF gun and hes showing it off on his YouTube channel.

With the help of Ryan and David from the YouTube channel Eclectical Engineering, the gigantic gun was made using a pressurized air can typically used for a paintball gun. How it works is that the air pressured to 3,000 psi is released into a firing chamber when the trigger is pulled. That chamber is regulated to 80 psi and pushes out the darts. One can of air lasts for 20 rounds.

Oh, and those darts? Theyre made of pool noodles and toilet plungers, leave the gun at approximately 40 miles per hour and can actually stick to their targets (theoretically).

Robers exclamation point on his demonstration, which included knocking over stacks of red cups and skeet shooting, was using it in a NERF battle against his niece and nephews. To say the least, they were a little astounded to see Uncle Marks monstrosity of a NERF gun.

If youre interested seeing the FrankenNERF gun destroy some watermelons with some 3-D printed projectiles, you can go to the Eclectical Engineering page for the 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.