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Have You Seen This? The 9-year-old with perfect pitch
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Not only can he immediately recite any note being played on a piano, he can listen to an incredibly complex chord, name it, pick out all the notes and draw it in music notation. - photo by Angie Treasure
Angie Treasure
KSL.com
Published: Mar 9, 2017, 1:32 PM


ALL COWS EAT GRASS I started taking violin lessons when I was 5 years old. To me, that seemed pretty advanced.

I would drive with my mom from Ogden to Kaysville once a week, take out my quarter-sized violin and play songs that were mostly composed of open string bowings while I tried to keep the horsehair between the bridge and the fingerboard.

When I got a little older, those lessons became more advanced (I even learned where to put my fingers without the use of stickers!) and my instructor even tried to get me to learn music theory. This did not go well. My brain never grasped the complexities of it all, and I couldnt bring myself to care what key I was playing in. I could find a note and play it; that seemed good enough.

This is why the most recent video from 9-year-old music prodigy Dylan Beato is so remarkable to me. Not only can he immediately recite any note being played on a piano, he can listen to an incredibly complex chord, name it, pick out all the notes and draw it in music notation.

Dylan first gained notoriety on his father Ricks YouTube Channel back in 2015 when people couldnt stop listening to the little boy with a golden ear.

According to Rick, his sons exposure to music began in utero when daddy would play his son music while his wife was pregnant.

After he was born, Rick writes in the most recent video description, I would spend 2-3 hours a day interacting with him while we listened together. I also had a small keyboard on the floor so he could crawl over and make his own music whenever he wanted. It was never my intention to develop Dylans ear or make him into a musical genius, it was just me wanting him to experience all the music that was most instrumental in my musical development.

So are musical geniuses born or created? All I know is I was neither, and Dylan is probably both.
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.