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Have You Seen This? Theres a new Rubiks Cube world record
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Some people are just made to line up the little 3x3x3 cube until each side is a solid color, including 20-year-old Netherland native, Mats Valk, who recently solved the RC in record time: 4.74 seconds. - photo by Angie Treasure


SPEEDVILLE I was the kind of student who liked being the first person done with my times table worksheet.

Yeah, I know. Im a monster.

There was something thrilling about working through the problems at break-neck speed, adrenaline pumping through your little third-grade body, that yellow number 2 pencil getting slick in your hand as you try to remember what 7x8 equals.

For that reason, I feel like I understand the appeal of being a Rubiks Cube solving champion, while simultaneously recognizing that its something completely beyond my realm of capability.

Some people are just made to line up the little 3x3x3 cube until each side is a solid color, including 20-year-old Netherland native, Mats Valk, who recently solved the RC in record time: 4.74 seconds. Pretty impressive seeing as there are a possible 43,252,003,274,489,856,000 configurations. Just watching the video made me anxious.

Valk beat the latest record held by Lucas Etter by just .16 seconds. The record-setting time came in the second round of the Jawa Timur open in Indonesia on Sunday.

Things I can do in under five seconds: Get up off the couch, open a bag of Lays sour cream n onion potato chips and lint roll my sweater before I leave for work.

Fun fact: The world record holder in the very first International Rubiks Championships held in 1982 solved it in an embarrassingly slow (pause for sarcasm) 19 seconds. Valk could ostensibly solve four cubes in that time.
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.