It’s Boxing Day! I got up early this morning to go shopping (my once annual spree) and am now ensconced for our family get together. Take some time to get your mental corn popping with these thought provoking (or just plain fun) links.
Juli Fraga wants to help you conquer your social anxiety over the holidays. NPR
Lisa Wood Shapiro recounts her quest for clean air. Wired
Andrea Romano explains how long you should take off work to feel productive again. Travel and Leisure
Matthew Gault: the best optical illusion of the year will mess with your head. Vice
Alexandra Ossola: can algae save the planet by changing the way we eat? Quartz
Jaymi Heimbuch shares macro photos of snowflakes that reveal impossibly perfect designs. Treehugger
PBS Space Time considers the validity of cosmological natural selection (i.e. that black holes create new universes).
The fuzzy origins of the giant panda. PBS Eons
Chris Baraniuk: corvids could be the smartest animals other than primates. BBC
Joshua Rapp Learn explains why birds sing to their eggs and how these songs might help their offspring survive climate change. Smithsonian Magazine
Find out all about Leonard, the mudskipper, with Ze Frank.
Thank you for taking time out of the holiday whirlwind to stop by and peruse the offerings.
Until next week, be well, be kind, and stay strong. The world needs your stories 🙂