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Have You Seen This? Giving chocolate during the holocaust
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The horrors of the Holocaust sometimes gave way to bright spots of goodness and hope. - photo by Martha Ostergar
FRANCE Francine Christophe was born in 1933 to a Jewish family in France.

In 1944, she was sent to the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in northern Germany with her mother, where each child was allowed to bring a small bag from France with an item or two inside.

Francines mother brought two small pieces of chocolate for her daughter, which would be saved to help give Francine a boost if she ever collapsed or became weak while in the camp.

In this video, Francine details the simple story of what happened to that chocolate during the war. It began when a pregnant women name Helene went into labor while incarcerated, and Francine gave up her chocolate to help sustain Helene as she gave birth.

The story doesnt end there, but it is truly best to hear the whole, touching tale straight from Francine in this five-minute video.

Francines story is part of a larger film project called Human, in which director Yann Arthus-Bertrand spent three years interviewing 2,000 people around the world to try and answer the question, What is it that makes us human?

This video was posted to YouTube on Sept. 11, 2105, but has currently found a second life online, and deservedly so. To learn more about the Human project, visit the project's YouTube channel or website.
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.