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Have You Seen This? Man vs. kookaburra tug-of-war battle
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A bizarre sort of tug-of-war ensues, with the kookaburra making its kookaburra clicks and chirps in what I personally can only interpret as aggressive. Still, the man doesnt stop there and adds another layer to the man vs. beast tug of war. - photo by Martha Ostergar
Martha Ostergar
KSL.com
Published: Sep 20, 2015, 9:29 AM
THE OLD GUM TREE Im not sure if kookaburras actually live in old gum trees, but I am sure that they are certainly wild animals.

Sure, like this hummingbird and countless raccoons seen on the Internet, wild animals appear tame as theyve learned to interact with humans for food. But as a friendly reminder to you from me, they are still wild animals.

That didnt stop this man from feeding this kookaburra on a balcony. Only he didnt just feed the bird with his hand, he put what looks like a slice of meat in his mouth and let the bird grab the other end.

(It may sound like Im overreacting, but birds have those beaks that look perfect for poking out eyes, especially kookaburras. So it seems a little sketchy to voluntarily put your eyes that close to their beaks, in my humble opinion. But I digress.)

A bizarre sort of tug-of-war ensues, with the kookaburra making its kookaburra clicks and chirps in what I personally can only interpret as aggressive. Still, the man doesnt stop there and adds another layer to the man vs. beast tug of war.

Watch the 1.5-minute video to see just what I mean, since that will be far more effective than explaining at length.

The video was originally posted last year, but it's currently finding new life.
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.