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Have You Seen This? Sad robot wants toy
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Fall in love with one of the Disneys latest research developments, Jimmy the robot. - photo by Martha Ostergar
THE MAGIC LAB When you wish upon a star or more precisely, when you put a lot of hard work into making something look like magic dreams do come true.

Disney creates magic in many inventive ways, which of course includes a lot of science and engineering. After all, dreams just dont grow out of pumpkin patches. But did you know that Disney runs its own research hub?

Thats where where Jimmy the robot the teleoperated robot based on hybrid hydrostatic transmissions was born and developed with researches from Catholic University of America and Carnegie Mellon University. In the most reduced terms, this means Jimmy is a hybric hydraulic robot that uses both air and water to achieve delicate and fluid motions.

While the engineering itself is fascinating, I instead want to talk about how said engineering will make you immediately fall in love with a robot that looks like a very advanced and less obnoxious Johnny Five from Short Circuit.

Just watch the video and tell me you dont feel really sad for Jimmy when he cant immediately get Pooh Bear into his red rubber ball hands. I fully admit that I let out an audible aww in my sadness.

Of course, right now (but maybe not in the future), Jimmy is controlled by a hidden puppeteer, so its easier to infuse the robot with human-like emotion, but that doesnt stop the visuals and the science from being awesome. Plus, you may not have noticed as you watched, but that robot makes almost no sound when it moves.

You can read more about the development, technical aspects and possible applications of the robot in the Institute for Electrical and Electronics Engineers interview with the initial lead researcher.

Watch Jimmy interact with children, move an egg and play catch in this 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
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.