Melatonin, Macular Degeneration, and Blue Light

Are we spending too much time looking at screens? In this episode, Rose investigates the potential negative health effects of blue light—from poor sleep, to macular degeneration, and even premature aging—and what we can do to avoid it. In our SNPit, Ash discusses a new study where scientists have created tiny crying tear glands in a dish.   

Episode Sources:

• Blue light emitted by screens damages our sleep, study suggests  
• Artificial light from digital devices lessens sleep quality. 
• Blue light may not be as bad for sleep as suspected, new study argues. 
• Daily blue-light exposure shortens lifespan and causes brain neurodegeneration in Drosophila. 
• Chemists discover how blue light from digital devices speeds blindness. 
• Study links night exposure to blue light with breast and prostate cancer. 
• Blue Light Exposure May Make You Hungrier, Study Suggests. 
• Individuals exposed to blue wavelength lights experienced faster reaction times. 
• Blue-enriched white light to wake you up in the morning. 
• Two hours of evening reading on a self-luminous tablet vs. reading a physical book does not alter sleep after daytime bright light exposure. 
• Scientists grew tiny tear glands in a dish — then made them cry. 

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Music:  

AhDah Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). 
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License. 
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/.