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Ron Howard says George Lucas had a huge influence on Solo
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George Lucas arrives at the premiere of "Solo: A Star Wars Story" at El Capitan Theatre on Thursday, May 10, 2018, in Los Angeles. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP) - photo by Herb Scribner
George Lucas actually changed a scene for the upcoming Solo: A Star Wars Story film.

The films director, Ron Howard, told Stephen Colbert on The Late Show that Lucas visited the set and offered his advice on a scene including Han Solo.

We were doing a scene and he was trying to stay out of the way, but he did lean over and he said, You know what Han would really do there?' Howard recalled on "The Late Show" Thursday night. I said, What? And he told me the joke, he gave me a little joke. And I said (to the crew), Hey, guess what? Heres what were gonna do in the next take. So I know when I hear a good idea.



Howard did not reveal which scene Lucas offered his two cents for.

Howard told Colbert that Lucas, who created the Han Solo character for Star Wars: A New Hope in 1977, doesnt really involve himself in the Star Wars movies anymore, according to Entertainment Weekly.

Weve remained friends, so for me it was an incredible show of support and respect and it meant the world to me that he would go out of his way to show up, he said.

But, in a recent interview with Mashable, Howard said Lucas helped create Solo in more ways than youd think. In fact, Howard and Lucas talked over the idea of a new Star Wars film before the prequel movies were filmed.

Solo, he said, was originally an idea inspired by Lucas.

The interesting thing to note here is the origins of (Solo) came before Disney acquired Lucasfilm. I didn't know that, I just knew I really liked the script and thought I could bring something to it and was excited to try. But it makes a lot of sense to me that this wasn't the result of some studio directive.

This came from (screenwriter) Larry Kasdan talking to George Lucas, with (Lucasfilm president) Kathy Kennedy in attendance, saying: what are the very best stories we can tell that would mean the most to fans? Howard told Mashable.

Howard said hes unsure if the success of Solo will bring Lucas back to the directors chair.

Look, I think fans are going to define a lot of it. It's a question of what level of enthusiasm is there for this corner of the galaxy and this set of characters in this time frame, Howard said.
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.