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These cryptocurrency winners want to build a Crypto Utopia in Puerto Rico
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Overclocking programs use to overclock and underplot graphics cards is displayed on Jacob Berezay's screen in South Salt Lake on Thursday, Dec. 28, 2017. - photo by Herb Scribner
Herb Scribner
Deseret News special workflow
Published: Feb 7, 2018, 2:59 AM
Cryptocurrency owners have chosen a specific location to live out their dreams with all their earnings.

The New York Times reported on Feb. 2 that many people who saw Bitcoin and cryptocurrency success have fled to Puerto Rico.

They are selling their homes and cars in California and establishing residency on the Caribbean island in hopes of avoiding what they see as onerous state and federal taxes on their growing fortunes, some of which now reach into the billions of dollars, according to The New York Times.

Cryptocurrency has risen in popularity over the last few months. Innovators have figured out ways to develop technologies based around cryptocurrency. Some have even begun "mining" it a complicated process, which you can read about at the Deseret News in hopes of finding financial success.

Cryptocurrency winners, who are mostly men, want to build a new city based solely on cryptocurrency, according to The New York Times. They hope to prove that cryptocurrency and the blockchain, which serves as a ledger for digital currencies, can create a better world.

They want to build a crypto utopia, a new city where the money is virtual and the contracts are all public, to show the rest of the world what a crypto future could look like, the article read.

Entrepreneurs spent a long time trying to find the right spot to create their utopia. After Hurricane Maria ravaged through the U.S. territory leading to a major power outage and possibly close to 1,000 deaths they saw an opportunity to help rebuild the society with the help of cryptocurrency.

"So this crypto community flocked here to create its paradise," according to the Times.

Read more at The New York Times.
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.