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This quaint Italian village is offering homes for $1, but there's a catch
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The town hopes the $1 asking prices will draw new people into the ailing community, which is at risk of becoming a ghost town. In fact, population size at the town drop from 2,250 to 13,000 in the last 50 years. - photo by Herb Scribner
Buying a home in a quaint Italian village shouldnt seem like a pipe dream anymore. The Italian town of Ollolai wants you to buy an abandoned home in the village for just over $1.

However, theres a catch. Owners must commit to refurbishing them within three years, which can cost close to $25,000, according to CNN.

The town hopes the $1.20 asking prices will draw new people into the struggling community, which is at risk of becoming a ghost town. Population of the town has dropped from 2,250 to 1,300 residents in the past 50 years.

The town was once the capital of Barbagia, a natural mountainous region in Italy. Young people slowly left the community for the urban areas of Italy.

"We boast prehistoric origins," said Efisio Arbau, the mayor of Ollolai. "My crusade is to rescue our unique traditions from falling into oblivion. Pride in our past is our strength. We've always been tough people and won't allow our town to die."

Italian cities have attempted this move before. According to BBC, the mayor of Bormida floated the idea of struggling hamlets drawing in residents by offering people 2,000 euros ($2,373.88) to relocate there. Nearly 17,000 people responded.

However, Mayor Daniele Galliano walked back the idea, saying he had been misunderstood and the town didnt have enough money to carry out such a plan.

Similarly, the Italian town of Candela lured families by offering them a nice bonus for relocating there, BBC reported.

"This is how it works: 800 euros for singles, 1,200 euros for couples, 1,500 to 1,800 euros for three-member families, and over 2,000 euros for families of four to five people," local official Stefano Bascianelli told BBC.

Interested parties had to sign an application, accepting that they would receive 50 percent of the money after the first year and 50 percent after the second year.

A village in Switzerland attempted to attract new residents by paying a family of four $70,000, according to the Deseret News. The village recently voted to accept this concept through a referendum. However, candidates must be from Switzerland and must be younger than 45 years old.
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.