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Tinder for politics: How one app is engaging young voters
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A new app is looking to get people interested in politics again by combining the swipe-abilty of Tinder and the open forum of Facebook into one experience. - photo by Shelby Slade
A new app is aiming to get people interested in politics by combining the swipe-abilty of Tinder and the open forum of Facebook into one experience.

Brigade, launched by former Facebook president Sean Parker, allows users to find out how their political values align with other users and get connected with advocacy groups and candidates with similar values.

Users can ask questions of their connections and share their political opinions, which is rare for a social networking site.

While many millennials are willing to share personal information on social media, they are less likely to share their thoughts about politics, Parker told Politico reporter Nancy Scola.

(On Facebook) you obey a certain set of social rules on the kinds of things you share or dont, Parker said. When it comes to your civic identity or your political identity or your charitable identity, frankly you dont want to express that side of yourself on Facebook. Its not the right medium to do it.

The app is capitalizing on these political opinions people avoid posting elsewhere and combining it with a passion for community to hopefully repair the divide between voters and politicians, Alexander Howard reported for The Huffington Post.

People don't love politics, Brigade CEO Matt Mahan said. They're pretty cynical and disillusioned about thr state of the political system right now. With everyone we talked to, it turned out they all have issues they care about, opinions, and they have a view on where they want to see the world go."

Younger Americans are less likely to be attached to political parties and vote at lower rates, Ana Swanson reported for The Washington Post. This likely stems from the intense political quarrelling and economic hardships happening when they came of age.

Even young Americans who consider themselves politically active may not do much more than vote every few years, sign an online petition once a year, or passive-aggressively unfriend people who express different political views on Facebook, Swanson wrote.

While younger generations may be less politically involved, they are involved in their communities. Millennials are volunteering more in their communities than other generations, The Huffington Post reported.

Brigade hopes that by connecting users with political advocacy groups they will be able to connect their community engagement with political action.

For all human beings, it makes more sense to talk about issues than parties who cares about parties. Most people are more interested in solving issues, Tufts professor Peter Levine told Swanson.
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.