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Have You Seen This? How eclipses shaped our understanding of the universe
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On Aug. 21, the moon's shadow will totally cover the sun in parts of the world. While it's somewhat of an oddity in our time, eclipses have an incredible history of shaping our understanding of the universe. - photo by Angie Treasure


THE UNIVERSE The impending solar eclipse is a big deal.

On Aug. 21, the moon will position itself between the sun and the earth, creating a total solar eclipse in parts of the world and a highly visible eclipse here in northern Utah (lucky us!). What we may not realize, though, is how important eclipses have been in shaping scientists' understanding of the universe.

According to a video released by Skunk Bear on YouTube (NPR's science channel), cave drawings and similar records dating back to 1300 BC show people in the Americas, Scandinavia and India writing about the sun "being eaten," which was their understanding of eclipses at the time. Many people thought the event signified some impending doom, but what it did was ultimately begin man's fascination with and the invention of astronomy.

Fast forward to 130 BC, Hipparchus was able to use a lunar eclipse to calculate the distance between the earth and moon without the aid of telescopes. In 1715 AD, mathematician Urbain Le Verrier was trying to uncover why some planets had an uneven orbit namely Mercury. Le Verrier surmised that there was another planet (Vulcan) present that was causing Mercury to orbit off kilter. However, an eclipse in the 18th century allowed scientists to observe what was surrounding Mercury and the sun, revealing that Vulcan didn't actually exist.

So what was causing this imperfect orbit, scientists continued to wonder?

In 1919, Albert Einstein postulated that Mercury's orbit was being altered by its proximity to the sun, a body so massive that it warped space and time surrounding it. An eclipse that year allowed scientists to see stars near the sun and how their starlight was thrown off course, validating Einstein's theory.

We're still learning from the sun, as evidenced by the Skunk Bear video and the word of countless scientists. Eclipses, including the upcoming total solar eclipse, give us a unique ability to observe that fascinating ball of gas 93 million miles away.
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.