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Have You Seen This? Santa speaks all languages except one
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Communication is key to getting what you want for Christmas. - photo by Martha Ostergar
THE NORTH POLE When all the cards are on the table, the person who cares about communication more than anyone else in the entire world is Santa Claus.

He and his elfin team work hard to make sure every child is heard whether theyre sitting on Santas lap, writing him letters, or even speaking to him on the phone.

But no matter how hard ol Saint Nick and his team of diminutive helpers work, there is one language they just dontunderstand. And thats the particular dialect of English spoken in New Zealand.

With all the shifting vowels, things can get tricky for non-Kiwi humans beings as well as immortal beings like Santa. In fact, youll see just how tricky it gets when Santa starts fielding Christmas present phone calls from all the good boys and girls in New Zealand.

In the video, when a kid asks for a new bed, Santa hears new beard. It only goes downhill from there until an elf storms in with a ridiculous array of toys (AKA Santas flubs).

Thats right, not even Santa is perfect.

Luckily (and because this is the internet) there are crew members from New Zealand Air with apparition powers that come to Santas aid. They start by launching into a twisting explanation of how vowels work in the Kiwi dialect, which proves that it can be difficult for even a magical man to understand.

As amazing as that bit is, the best part of the video is the national sense of humor with citizens that are willing and even proud to poke fun at themselves. Good on ya, mates.
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.