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This 6-year-old just found a 65 million-year-old fossil because she was bored at a soccer game
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Naomi Vaughan, 7, holds an ammonite fossil near the spot where she found it at the 15th Street soccer fields in Bend, Ore., on Wednesday, March 7, 2018. Ammonite is an extinct marine invertebrate that last existed more than 65 million years ago. (Joe Kline /The Bulletin via AP) - photo by Herb Scribner
Herb Scribner
Deseret News special workflow
Published: Mar 23, 2018, 3:10 PM
A 6-year-old girl from Bend, Oregon, recently discovered a 65-million-year-old fossil digging around in the dirt at her sister's boring soccer game.

According to CNN, last October, a young girl named Naomi got bored with her sister's match and started grubbing around the sagebrush outside the soccer field. She picked up a small rock that reminded her of a necklace from Disneys Moana movie.

Now, months later, Naomis family has discovered that the rock was a 65 million-year-old fossil.

Naomis dad, Darin Vaughn, said his daughter knew the rock was special from the get-go.

"She knew it right away," Darin Vaughan told CNN. "I'm not sure I would've."

Greg Retallack, director of paleontological collections at the University of Oregon's Museum of Natural and Cultural History, told CNN that Naomi discovered an ammonite fossil, which is a sea creature that went extinct with the dinosaurs. The fossil is common, he said, but not in Oregon. In fact, its a rarity that researchers dont know much about.

In some cases, this discovery would be a huge score.

The fossil can sell for $40,000 to $50,000, according to CNN.

However, Retallack said Naomis rock is probably worth $10 or $20 since it hasnt been preserved well, according to The Bend Bulletin.

Retallack told The Associated Press that the fossil probably originated from the Bernard Formation of Bernard Ranch in eastern Oregon.

"Presumably there was some family connection between the ranches and Bend, or it was part of a school fossil collection," Retallack said, adding that the fossil probably originated outside of Oregon.

Naomi is still happy about her discovery, according to her dad.

"She was delighted to find something so beautiful and to discover it's so old," Darin Vaughan said told the Associated Press. "She is still really excited."
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.