The Checkup: New Laser Turns Brown Eyes Blue

How much would you pay for a set of baby blues?

• Forget everything you learned in high school biology about dominant and recessive genes when it comes to eye color (am I the only one who remembers Punnett squares?). A new laser procedure can turn brown eyes blue, disrupting pigmentation that makes eyes appear brown and revealing bright blue eye color underneath. The procedure takes only 20 seconds to complete and, although not yet available in the States, will cost somewhere in the neighborhood of $5,000. Also of note: It’s not reversable. Would you do it?

• A recent health poll by NPR and Thomson Reuters found that 59 percent of Americans believe that smokers should pay higher rates for health insurance; less than a third of smokers agree. The poll, which questioned 3,000 American adults, found that only 31 percent of people favored insurance penalties for the obese and overweight; 69 percent opposed it. Not surprisingly, 85 percent liked the idea of insurance discounts for people who are taking active steps toward better health. Read more about the poll over here.