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Have You Seen This? River otters frolicking in the snow
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Animals enjoying the snow is one of the last redeeming qualities about winter. This video of river otters at the Oregon Zoo enjoying a snow day will bring a smile to your face. - photo by Mary Dalrymple
OREGON ZOO Animals enjoying the snow is one of the last redeeming qualities about winter.

Now that we're almost halfway through January, I was feeling ready for the snow to stop falling and the sun to come out. That was, until I saw this video. It's a well-established fact that watching an animal roll around happily in the snow will bring a smile to anyone's face. And if we keep getting more of these delightful videos, I think I'd be OK with winter lasting all year.

Earlier this week, a snowstorm passed through Portland, Oregon, that was big enough for the Oregon Zoo to close up shop for the day. And when the humans go away, the animals get to play.

Polar bears and panda bears are cute, but I think I love these weird river otters the most. Fortunately, if you watch this and then want to see more cute animals frolicking around, the zoo also made a compilation of how the other animals spent their snow day (the elephants are particularly fun to watch).
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.