By allowing ads to appear on this site, you support the local businesses who, in turn, support great journalism.
What Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet can teach us about male-female friendships
05c4e67cd170f4da2d40b938f8b102d7f60f1901d54c7f8e90f5eef9df21dc0a
DiCaprio and Winslet have long been best buds since they played star-crossed lovers Jack Dawson and Rose DeWitt Bukater in the Oscar-winning Titanic. - photo by Herb Scribner
Much of the discussion leading up to the 2016 Oscars has surrounded Leonardo DiCaprio. But its not just about whether or not hell take home the Best Actor award that has long alluded him.

Rather, theres been some talk about DiCaprios BFF friendship with actress Kate Winslet, who is up for Best Supporting Actress for her role in Steve Jobs."

The two are such close friends that they may be an example of how successful male-female friendships can be, even when some experts warn against it.

DiCaprio and Winslet have long been best buds since they played star-crossed lovers Jack Dawson and Rose DeWitt Bukater in the Oscar-winning Titanic.

Ever since these two shot Titanic in 1996, they've been supporting each other and making fans' hearts melt with public declarations of (platonic) love, Mashable reported. From the late '90s when hair was spikier to the present, they've had each other's backs. More than Rose had Jack's, for sure. Losing an Oscar kind of seems worth it for that Winslet consolation hug.

In a lot of ways, Kate and I have, weve really grown up in this industry together," DiCaprio told Oprah Winfrey in 2009. "Weve been a support mechanism for each other for such a long period of time and weve been there for each other and helped guide each other."

So, yeah. DiCaprio and Winslet may just be the definition of friendship goals. Theyre there for each other after they dont win awards or even when they do and are a clear example of men and women getting along as friends, even if some warn against it.

Experts say that male-female friendships can be tricky. There are, after all, some preconceived notions that men and women can only get along romantically. Recent research has found that for some theres always romantic interest lingering between male and female friends, according to Scientific American.

A study looked at 88 opposite-sex friends and asked them how they felt about their buddy. In most cases, men showed more levels of attraction towards their female counterparts, which indicated to researchers that men may have a tougher time developing friendships with the opposite sex than women.

Relationship expert Linda Sapadin told Psychology Today that this idea was created back when men and women only spent time together in a romantic sense, before women entered the workplace in droves.

Now, though, women and men socialize at work, play sports together and even grab lunch together without fear of a romantic relationship, Psychology Today explained. This has been an especially popular notion among todays millennial generation, too.

This shift has led experts to feel that men and women can feel a platonic form of love, freeing them from any sexual or romantic tension.

This cultural shift has encouraged psychologists, sociologists and communications experts to put forth a new message: Though it may be tricky, men and women can successfully become close friends, according to Psychology Today. What's more, there are good reasons for them to do so.

The benefits apply to both men and women, according to Jessica Ciencin Henriquez of The Huffington Post. Male and female friends can help set each other up with potential romantic partners, giving each other advice about how to treat the opposite sex so that they can build their own proper relationships.

For women, these friendships can bring honest compliments, too. Since men are less likely to give compliments for compliment sake, a mans nice words will often be honest, Henriquez wrote.

And, like DiCaprio and Winslet, male and female friends can be platonic dates for each other in situations when they find themselves a few minutes away from going stag, Henriquez wrote.

I agree that when you build a friendship that works seamlessly, she wrote, no romantic relationship can hold a candle to it.
Its toxic: New study says blue light from tech devices can speed up blindness
93cbd7a5475cccd1cee701424125d3abaa9b4beaa58d3663208f656cbbbd7661
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.