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Piano Guys cellist Steven Sharp Nelson pens heartfelt blog post to friend Jon Schmidt
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Utah natives (left to right) Al van der Beek, Jon Schmidt, Steven Sharp Nelson and Paul Anderson make up The Piano Guys. - photo by Koster Kennard
Piano Guys cellist Steven Sharp Nelson posted a tribute to his friend and band mate Jon Schmidt in the wake of the disappearance of Schmidt's daughter Annie.

In the post, Nelson wrote about helping his friend search for his daughter in a vast area where everything seemed to look the same.

"I cant adequately express the anguish I felt as I watched my friend, my brother, run upriver, fighting against an ice-cold current, shouting his daughters name at the stoic riverbanks on each side straining his voice above the din of the white water," wrote Nelson in the post.

Nelson said he started to feel angry that despite the diligent efforts and prayers of so many, they were still unable to find Annie, but Schmidt was more calm.

"Ive known Jon now for over 20 years," said Nelson. "When you share the stage with someone you learn a great deal about his character. He is a model man, friend, husband and father. His faith is like an endlessly rushing river that carves out obstinate shores of despair and flows around imposing rocks of doubt."

Nelson said his life has been changed by Schmidt's empathy and that Schmidt helped him to cope with the loss of his mother a few years back.

"Jon is no stranger to struggle," Nelson wrote in the post. "Its how he has earned his empathy. He has also taught me that tragedy shakes off our shackles of petty concern, allowing us to sweat off the small stuff. This softening is one of the enduring purposes of hardship. And as we are softened, our hearts open up to house faith in eternal purposes that cant readily be seen."

Read Nelson's full blog post here.
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.