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Have You Seen This? Terrifying bobbit worm is a nightmare from the deep
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Try to get through this video without cringing in terror. - photo by Mary Dalrymple
Mary Dalrymple
KSL.com
Published: Jun 2, 2017, 9:31 AM


BALI, Indonesia There's not much to say to introduce this video other than it's, well, terrifying.

Captured by a diver in Bali, Indonesia, the video shows a eunice aphroditois, colloquially known as a bobbit worm, in its natural habitat: the ocean floor. While I'm not normally afraid of ocean creatures, this video is straight from one of my nightmares.

The bobbit worm apparently lives under the ocean bed, waiting patiently for prey to pass by before popping up out of the sand to stun it, kill it and eat it. The diver who captured this video cleverly tempted the worm with a dead fish (that's twice the bobbit worm's size) to get the full effect of what the worm looks like in action.

"Before this dive, my guide told me we can feed and see the bobbit worms," the videographer wrote. "It was an amazing worm underwater, so I knew we had to capture it!"

Sure, the creature is amazing, if you like scary, creepy or gross things. I could barely get through the video without cringing in terror, but if that's your thing, you're going to love this.
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.