Contact Lenses

Call her super-talented or super-insane, there's no denying that Lady Gaga has a magnetic effect on young girls, inspiring thousands of young fans to don blond wigs, sheer lace leggings, yellow caution tape and even sunglasses made out of cigarettes. But, the latest Gaga trend — circle lenses, has got not only fashion critics worried, but eye doctors as well. Circle lenses were available before the Gaga explosion, and in fact their popularity originated in Japan, Singapore and South Korea where many young women wear them to accentuate their eyes to resemble Japanese anime characters.

UCLA AT WASHINGTON STATE When: 6:30 p.m. Where: Beasley Coliseum, Pullman, Wash. On the air: TV: Pac-12 Networks; Radio: 570. Records: UCLA 22-7 overall, 12-4 Pac-12; Washington State 11-18, 2-14. Update: UCLA forward Travis Wear (strained right foot) did not practice Monday after playing only 17 minutes against Arizona on Saturday. He missed the two previous games because of the injury. "He had some swelling after the game, which we expected," Coach Ben Howland said.

U.S. health officials warned Americans not to wear colored contact lenses being sold simply for decoration and without a prescription or a professional fitting, saying the lenses present serious risks of permanent eye injury. The Food and Drug Administration said noncorrective, decorative contact lenses are being sold directly to consumers at flea markets, convenience stores and beach shops, adding that marketing may increase around Halloween.

CENTENNIAL, Colo. - The preliminary hearing for James E. Holmes ended Wednesday after two days of graphic testimony showing the brutality of the attack, but without offering any motive for the mass shooting inside a suburban movie theater. Judge William B. Sylvester decided not to rule immediately on whether Holmes will stand trail. The purpose of a preliminary hearing is to determine whether there is probable cause to take the case to trial. Sylvester set Friday morning for a return date and possible arraignment in the case.

Will the future bring us the teleportation devices of "Star Trek" or the sinister machines of "The Matrix"? Theoretical physicist Michio Kaku of the City College of New York says that many of the things that were once the domain of science fiction — cars that navigate rush-hour traffic on their own, wallpaper that can switch colors when you remodel, an elevator that takes you into outer space — are already here, or well on their way. His book "Physics...

Federal health officials are warning people not to use decorative contact lenses as part of Halloween costumes. Decorative lenses sold without a prescription are illegal and can cause serious eye injury and even blindness, the Food and Drug Administration said, citing injury reports it has received. The lenses, which come in various colors and designs, have been widely sold without prescription, the agency said.

PPG Industries said its Chemicals Group will form a joint venture with a French firm to manufacture and market special contact lenses, forming a new company that will be headquartered in St. Petersburg, Fla. PPG and Essilor International of France have reached an agreement in principle to make ophthalmic-quality lenses for consumer eye wear. PPG would hold 51% of the new company, officials said. The deal is subject to approval by boards of directors of both companies.

Emory University researchers have fitted monkeys with contact lenses in a study that they hope will yield new ways to treat babies born with cataracts and other vision disabilities. The study at Atlanta's Yerkes Regional Primate Research Center involves a pediatric ophthalmologist, a primate behavioral psychologist, neuroscientists and several dozen monkeys.

Disposable contact lenses are causing thousands of serious eye infections each year despite manufacturers' claims that they are safer than reusable lenses, researchers said Monday. Overnight use of contact lenses has been known to be associated with an increased risk of infections, the worst of which can lead to blindness.

The American Optometric Assn. recently issued an alert to its members after getting reports that some junior and senior high school students, mostly in the Midwest, are tinting their contact lenses with food coloring. The practice, which produces bright colors not generally available for contact lenses, can be dangerous and should be discouraged, association officials warn.

Click here to download TV listings for the week Dec. 2 - 8 in PDF format This week's TV Movies     CBS This Morning CEO Mark Pincus, Zynga. (N) 7 a.m. KCBS Today Elijah Wood; Paula Deen. (N) 7 a.m. KNBC Good Morning America Mia Hamm; Gerard Butler; Tyler Florence; Lori Bergamotto. (N) 7 a.m. KABC Live With Kelly and Michael Elijah Wood; Kelly auditions for the ballet; Katherine Jenkins performs. (N) 9 a.m. KABC The View Guest co-host Jenny McCarthy; Jane Seymour; Bonnie Raitt.

He should have saved this for "talk like a pirate" day, but Greg Monroe of the Detroit Pistons looked like a pirate as he was shooting a free throw Wednesday night. While driving to the hoop, Monroe was poked in the eye by Philadelphia's Spencer Hawes, drawing a foul. Unfortunately for Monroe, the poke knocked out one of his contact lenses, without which he has the eyesight of Mr. Magoo. Monroe couldn't find the lens, so he had to shoot his first free throw while basically being blind in one eye. Solution: Close the eye. He made the free throw.

GUANGZHOU - The children at the Bayi Xiwang elementary and middle school are doing something revolutionary by current Chinese standards: They're playing outside. Singing and skipping in the dizzying southern Chinese humidity, these students have been given 45 minutes a day to frolic under the sun while peers across the nation remain indoors, hunched over books or squinting at blackboards. By forcing youngsters to put down their pencils and expose their eyes to natural light, researchers think they can stem an explosion of nearsightedness in China.

ORLANDO, Fla. - Evidence released last week in the second-degree murder case against George Zimmerman shows four key witnesses made major changes in what they say they saw and heard on the rainy February night when he fatally shot 17-year-old Trayvon Martin. Three changed their stories in ways that could damage Zimmerman. One man who initially told police Martin was atop Zimmerman punching him "MMA-style" - a reference to Mixed Marital Arts - later said he was no longer sure about the punches.

Robert Pattinson will be trading those pesky "Twilight" Volturi as his on-screen enemies for real-life menace Saddam Hussein, then will play the bad guy himself taunting Guy Pearce.  Pattinson is attached to star in "Mission: Blacklist," based on the true story of Army interrogator Eric Maddox, who was involved in the capture of notorious Iraqi ruler Hussein. The project comes on the heels of reshoots for "Beaking Dawn - Part 2," the last time Pattinson will don the yellow contact lenses of vampire heartthrob Edward Cullen.

We rarely stop to think about it, but reading is an amazing accomplishment. It turns markings on a page or a screen into coherent thoughts. It's a complicated process: The eyes see a procession of letters, and the brain turns them into words. The reading process is challenging for people with dyslexia. The disorder isn't well understood, but there seems to be a communication breakdown between the eyes and the brain. Some people with dyslexia have trouble associating letters with sounds and words.

The Food and Drug Administration recommended Wednesday that consumers who use extended-wear contact lenses or disposable lenses keep them in their eyes no longer than seven days at a time, warning that the currently approved wearing time of 30 days poses "too high" a risk of developing corneal lesions that can lead to blindness. The federal agency urged all manufacturers of extended-wear lenses--which are worn by an estimated 5 million Americans--to voluntarily relabel their products to reflect the recommendation.

Jay Gibbons was beginning to wonder whether his eyes would ever allow him to play in the major leagues again. "It definitely crept through my mind more than once that this was not going to get better," Gibbons said Tuesday after being reinstated with the Dodgers. He replaced Marcus Thames , who was put on the 15-day disabled list because of a right quadriceps strain. Starting in spring training, Gibbons struggled to find the correct contact lenses, especially in his right eye, leaving him unable to handle big league pitching and to break camp with the Dodgers.

Aaron Miles found himself backed into a corner last off-season. The teams interested in him -- and there were only three -- were offering him minor league contracts. At 33, he was in danger of becoming a major league washout. It prompted him to do something he had long considered, but feared: undergo laser eye surgery. Miles credits the operation for his resurgence. The same player who hit .185 in 2009 is batting .311 for the Dodgers. And he already has appeared in 80 games, something he didn't do in either of the previous two seasons.

Will the future bring us the teleportation devices of "Star Trek" or the sinister machines of "The Matrix"? Theoretical physicist Michio Kaku of the City College of New York says that many of the things that were once the domain of science fiction — cars that navigate rush-hour traffic on their own, wallpaper that can switch colors when you remodel, an elevator that takes you into outer space — are already here, or well on their way. His book "Physics...