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How simple childrens drawings can help us better understand the world
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A researcher has figured out why it's important for historians and researchers to look at children's drawings they clue us in on what's important. - photo by Herb Scribner
The key to understanding some of historys most complex issues may lie in the mind of a child.

It could even be found in children's drawings.

Researcher Karen Sanchez-Eppler, a professor of American Studies and English at Amherst College, explained in an essay that children may have a certain understanding about the world that adults dont. Specifically, children see the world in a new and fresh way, which can offer researchers a new perspective on how history can be viewed.

What if we recognized children as having ways of speaking, thinking and interpreting that may possess valuable knowledge and insight?" Sanchez-Eppler wrote. "How might it change or add to the way we think of historical events and cultural trends, from the Civil War to the publication of Robinson Crusoe? What would we discover if we tried to unpack childish things from the rote assignments of school copybooks to the whimsy of childrens drawings?

Sanchez-Eppler further explained that simple diary or journal entries from children can give adult researchers insight into what family life was like during different periods of history.

She cites one 1827 diary entry from 8-year-old Mary Ware Allen, who wrote about how her mother played guitar when she studied geography on a snow day. To researchers, this would indicate that middle class families sometimes owned guitars and put an emphasis on education back at that time.

Researchers can also learn about how children perceive racism and culturalism based on the different books children read and the notes they make inside them.

Look no farther than the photo below. Drawn in 1964, this photo not only shows religions prevalence in society, but also racial issues, which were a major cultural issue in the 1960s.

This isnt limited to drawings, either. When children write their own stories, researchers can find what those youngsters valued most in society, like scientific advancements, she wrote.

Childrens perspectives their play, their imaginings, their curiosity invite us to see history with fresh eyes, Sanchez-Eppler wrote. Paying attention to children can help us achieve a fuller and more intimate access to the past.

Sanchez-Eppler isnt the first researcher to suggest such an idea. The Waldorf Library, a project of the Research Institute of Waldorf Education, explained that childrens drawings are one common way for different cultures to show expressions, as they are often filled with hopes, wishes, dreams, visions, and expectations and also their anxieties, fears, hurts, and worries, which give researchers an idea of what certain cultures often think and worry about.

Drawings can also be the key to understanding home life of any given era. In fact, a 2014 study found that childrens drawings offer a glimpse into home life experiences. Children will draw themselves away from their parents when theres violence or chaos in the home, for example, and these children may also draw themselves with sad faces or expressions, the study said.

Researchers have been trying to gauge what children take away from certain historical moments by having them draw, too. This happened after Sept. 11, 2001, when psychologists had children draw their interpretations of the events to see how youngsters understood the terrorist attack, according to PBS.

These drawings showed a variety of interpretations, including one where dinosaurs and a pack of monsters attacked the twin towers. This was a way, researchers said, of getting children to make sense of the unimaginable, PBS reported.

Drawings are a real depiction of the moment, Lori Evans, a psychologist at the NYU Child Study Center, told PBS. I think that sometimes we underestimate what kids see and hear. What these drawings tell us is that even young children had an understanding of what was going on.
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.