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Have You Seen This? Skydiving from a drone
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A Latvian company engineered a 28-propeller drone to accomplish the first human drone jump, and the video is worth watching. - photo by Mary Dalrymple
Mary Dalrymple
KSL.com
Published: May 18, 2017, 3:10 PM
LATVIA Confession: I have no interest in ever jumping out of a plane, and it is because of this that skydiving has never landed a spot on my bucket list.

I think, however, if I didn't have to actually jump out of a plane if all I had to do was let go of a drone I might try it. Which is one of the many reasons why this video showing the worlds first human drone jump is so cool to me.

Aerones, a high power drone development company, is responsible for the exciting video that may turn me into an adventurer after all.

The Latvian company engineered a 28-propeller drone capable of holding an impressive 440 pounds and let experienced skydiver and wind tunnel flyer Ingus Augstkalns complete the jump.

After climbing to the top of a radio communications tower, Augstkalns grabbed hold of the drone and let it carry him to a height of 330 meters (about 1,082 feet, for us Americans). Augstkalns then let go, activated his parachute and fell back down to Earth.

In a press release from the company, one of the drone's chief engineers pointed out how projects like this show off the exciting and potentially life-saving capabilities of drone technology.

"Already in the near future our technology will save human lives, will help to fight fires and carry out other challenging and significant work," Jnis Putrms said.

I, for one, am excited to watch as drones and other forms of technology make the world a safer place, especially if that means more of us can go skydiving without having to jump out of a plane. Watch the video and then let us know in the comments below if skydiving or drone jumping is on your bucket list.
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.