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Have You Seen This? Tom Cruise does his own stunts
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No Caption - photo by Martha Ostergar
Martha Ostergar
KSL.com
Published: Sep 3, 2015, 10:19 AM
STUNTVILLE Tom Cruise has made a reputation for himself for out-there behavior, and not just because he jumped on Oprahs couch.

Jumping on couches is one thing, but doing your own stunts when youre an action-movie star is another. No, Tom Cruise isnt the first or only actor who does many of his or her own stunts, but he certainly has a knack for garnering attention with what he does.

You may remember Cruise from such Mission: Impossible stunts as dangling outside the worlds tallest building, Burj Khalifa in Dubai; free climbing at Dead Horse Point in Utah, or almost crashing to the floor in a pressure-sensitive room.

As part of the promotion for Mission: Impossible Rogue Nation, the studio released video of a brand-new insane stunt. This time Mr. Cruise gets himself strapped to the side of a big ol plane, which then takes off with Cruise hanging on for dear life.

The stunt is straight-up bananas for a couple of reasons: 1. He cant get in the plane in an emergency, and 2. If the plane crashes there is virtually zero chance of his survival. Yet the man does the stunt eight times. It so nerve-racking, it just makes my lips numb to think about it.

No matter what you think of Cruise or his movies, theres no denying thats impressive dedication that may or may not border on insanity.
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.