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Report: San Antonio Spurs to replace dance team with a family friendly coed hype team
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Spurs are ending their Silver Dancers team. Instead, the team will reportedly replace the team with a 35-member family-friendly co-ed hype team." - photo by Herb Scribner
Herb Scribner
Deseret News special workflow
Published: May 23, 2018, 1:59 PM
The San Antonio Spurs are making their dance team a little more family friendly.

Sources say the Spurs are ending their Silver Dancers team. Instead, San Antonio will reportedly replace the team with a 35-member family friendly coed hype team, according to a press release.

The team will include tumbling and acrobatics as well as dance. It will elevate the game-day experience and energize crowds with a diverse array of unique family friendly talents, including tumbling, acrobatics, dance and stunts, according to a release.

We are excited to announce our new Spurs hype team, said Spurs Sports & Entertainment Vice President Tammy Turner in a statement. This team will further enhance the game-night experience for Spurs fans at the AT&T Center.

The dance squad began back in 1992. ESPN reported it was eliminated for lack of fan interest.

Rosalyn Jones, who founded the Silver Dancers, told The Washington Post the squad members weren't exactly happy with the idea that the dance team isnt considered family friendly.

This is a very conservative market, and the team has always been very concerned about the look of the girls and things like that, Jones told the Post. But Im telling you Ive never seen and never heard anything derogatory. The girls are all professional women, they know the rules and standards and they know theyre ambassadors for the Spurs. And theyve done so much in the community camps, clinics, promotional activities. To take this away so suddenly, its bothersome.

Jones said shes unsure why the team got canceled so suddenly.

This program has been in existence for 26 years. Why now? she asked. I dont understand the explanation that there was a lack of interest. If that was the case, shouldnt they have conveyed that to the choreographer and brought those concerns to her at some point? Give her a chance to address it. But there were never any complaints.

Former and current team members shared their dismay on Twitter.
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.