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United Airlines flight experiences 5-hour delay after man leaves plane through emergency exit
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A United Airlines flight couldnt take off for five hours after a man aboard the flight escaped through the emergency exit. - photo by Herb Scribner
Herb Scribner
Deseret News special workflow
Published: Feb 27, 2018, 2:19 AM
A United Airlines flight was delayed five hours after a man disembarked the plane through the emergency exit while it was parked at the gate, according to NBC 4 New York.

While Flight 1640 was parked at the gate at Newark Liberty International Airport, a passenger opened the emergency exit door and departed the aircraft using the slide, United Airlines spokeswoman Maggie Schmerin said, according to NBC 4 New York.

United Airlines Flight 1640 was bound from New Jersey to Tampa. The passenger, who was later identified as Troy Fattun, shouted that he was on the wrong plane and took matters into his own hands. The Port Authority later said the passenger's ticket "showed he was on the right plane," according to the New York Post.

Fattun was arrested and the charges are pending.

Passenger John OMalley said all passengers left the flight safely after the incident.

The flight eventually took off at 12:09 a.m. and landed in Tampa around 3 a.m. on Monday, according to Flightaware.com, which tracks flight departures, arrivals and delays.

A separate United Airlines flight from Newark suffered from a malfunction scare on Sunday night, too, according to Fox News. The flight experienced a blown tire during takeoff.

Passengers told Fox-12 Oregon that they heard a loud bang when they took off, but no one panicked.

The flight later landed safely in Oregon. Both Port of Portland and Portland Fire Officials remained on site in case the plane needed help landing.

The plane was later towed to the gate, according to KATU-2.
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.