It’s thoughty Thursday! Fortify yourself for the weekend and get your mental corn popping (i.e. get those ideas ping-ponging around inside your skull)!
The Capitol insurrection held me horrified. It still does. And the continued attempts of a certain despot to assail social media to issue a call to arms to disrupt the inauguration have me once again fearing for the future. This is not just America’s problem. It has the potential to disrupt nations across the world.
Katrin Bennhold and Steven Lee Myers report how America’s friends and foes express horror as Capitol attack shakes the world. The New York Times
Aaron Morrison: race double standard clear in rioters’ Capitol insurrection. Associated Press
Todd Richmond and Michael Tarm: no charges for Wisconsin officer who shot Jacob Blake. No justice. Associated Press
Dylan Lovan reports that two police officers involved in Breonna Taylor’s death have been fired. Still, no justice. Associated Press
Allison Miller reveals the hidden meaning of a notorious experiment. In a 1961 grant application, filed before the Eichmann trial was in full swing, Milgram “proposed to study the conditions under which compliance with authority could be increased or decreased—knowledge that had obvious military and political applications.” JSTOR Daily
Some good news: Doha Madani reports that the Red Sox hired Bianca Smith for minor league team, the first Black woman to coach in pro baseball. NBC News
Ashawnta Jackson say that when mambo was king, its creators were stereotyped. JSTOR Daily
And all this political and racial injustice while we’re in the midst of a pandemic.
Darren MacDonald: lockdown in northern Ontario to extend until Jan 23rd, but schools reopen Jan 11th. “… the province said the positivity rate for kids aged 12-13 years old increased from 5.44 per cent in late November, early December to nearly 20 per cent in early January.” CTV News
We have to do better, people.
How alchemy led to modern-day chemistry and medicine. SciShow
Gabriella Marchant: Australian “super seaweed” supplement that reduces cattle gas production wins $1million international prize. And … it was discovered by accident (!) Australian Broadcast Corporation
Graham Averill announces that New River Gorge is the US’s newest national park. Outside
Three ways exoplanets rocked planetary science. SciShow Space
Andrew Fazekas lists ten spectacular stargazing events to observe in 2021. National Geographic
Brent Lang: women directed a record number of films in 2020. Variety
Sylvia Poggioli introduces us to the women uncovering the lost works of female Renaissance artists (because, who else?). NPR
Thanks for stopping by. I hope you found something to inspire your next creative project.
Until next tipsday, be well and stay safe, be kind, and stay strong. The world needs your stories!
Always Looking Up 