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Stephen Colbert and the rise of religious late night
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Stephen Colbert in The Colbert Report (2005) - photo by Chandra Johnson
Chandra Johnson
Deseret News
Published: Sep 10, 2015, 1:09 PM
Late-night TV has undergone a huge changing of the guard recently, with heavy-hitters like Jay Leno, David Letterman and Jon Stewart all retiring in the last two years.

With Comedy Central alum Stephen Colbert taking the baton from Letterman, the network late-night roster will be rounded out with not just with comedians, but Christians mostly Catholics.

Colbert, Leno replacement Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel and veteran host Conan O'Brien all make up what Catholic publisher Our Sunday Visitor called "a Catholic takeover of late-night comedy" and some religious watchdogs think it could change how Americans look at the Catholic church.

"Having prominent Catholics on TV who can offer a satirical and even sometimes a critical look at their own church in a lighthearted, humorous manner will reflect well on the church as a whole, which in turn could change some peoples perceptions of Catholics," OSV's Scott Alessi wrote.

Relevant Magazine's Jesse Carey agreed, saying that less edgy hosts like Fallon and possibly Colbert represent Christian views that combat a generally negative view among young people of the church as "judgemental" about 87 percent of millennials, Barna estimates.

"'The Daily Show' may have been biting and funny, but tune into Fallon youll likely encounter a lot more gentleness, joy and kindness," Carey wrote. "Thats why modern Christianity can learn so much from whats happening in late night."
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.