abandoned places

Thoughty Thursday: Things that made me go hmmmm on the interwebz, Jan 24-30, 2016

/ Melanie Marttila / 2 Comments

Popping your mental corn for . . . a couple of years now, anyway 😉

Walking helps us think. Ferris Jabr for The New Yorker.

Diversity at the Oscars matters. #OscarsSoWhite Cameron Bailey for The Globe and Mail.

I am not black. You are not white.

 

The bitter experience of residential schools translated through ballet: Going Home. CBC.

Steven Page shared his mental health struggles in Sudbury last Thursday night. The Northern Life.

You are not weak by Devin Sarges.

 

New Alzheimer’s treatment fully restores memory. Science Alert.

The memory capacity of the brain is ten times greater than previously thought. New Universe Daily.

Mental Floss lists ten legendary monsters of North America.

Plants communicate using a network of fungi. Uplift.

Trees have social networks. Another article on the same topic. The New York Times.

Traces of a 9000 year old civilization discovered in Lake Huron by University of Michigan researchers. Message to Eagle.

Lupus 4 is a dark cloud in space. Phil Plait examines the mysteries of this tentacular hole for Slate.

Lady Science, a new anthology, is helping to stamp out sexism in the sciences. Slate.

A buried ‘daytime hotel’ is rediscovered in all its Art Nouveau splendour. Messy Nessy Chic.

Roger Boisjoly, the engineer who tried to stop the Challenger launch, dies at the age of 73. The LA Times.

Mimi Matthews explores cat funerals in the Victorian era.

And that was Thoughty Thursday.

And guess what? I lied last Saturday when I said I’d be back with more convention reportage. It’s actually Next Chapter time! So, I’ll be back on Saturday with that.

Thoughty Thursday

Thoughty Thursday: Things that made me go hmmmm on the interwebz, Dec 27, 2015-Jan 2, 2016

/ Melanie Marttila / 2 Comments

Just a wee bit of thoughty today. Guess I wasn’t quite ready to let go of the holidays 😦

The weird science hidden in Canadian money:

 

Visit the subterranean cisterns of Victorian England. Beautiful abandoned places. Atlas Obscura.

Perihelion 2016. Phil Plait, Bad Astronomer, for Slate.

Researchers create a genetic map of the British Isles. Absolutely fascinating. Medievalists.

Holy calamari! This giant squid (just a baby at 12 feet) hung around for a photo op in Japan. The Washington Post.

The tiny hydra may be immortal. Live Science.

I hope there’s something in there that will tickle your fancy.

See you on the weekend!

Thoughty Thursday

Thoughty Thursday: Things that made me go hmmmm on the interwebz, Dec 20-26, 2015

/ Melanie Marttila / 2 Comments

Here’s to having a Thoughty New Year!

Cameron Diaz sums up the meaning of happiness. The Huffington Post.

Lauren Alix Brown: In your 30s, you’ll discover that happiness is just persistence and sheer will. Quartz.

Yvette Cooper says that online sexism is so out of control we can no longer control it. The Guardian.

It was the winter solstice last week, and Newgrange is one of the most magical places in the world to experience it. Irish Central.

Phil Plait got in on the solstice action, too. Slate.

Is your brain a computer, or is it a quantum orchestra, tuned to the universe? Interalia Magazine

So, Space-X launched its latest Falcon 9 rocket last Sunday night. And guess what? They stuck the landing 🙂 Both events were reported by Phil Plait, Bad Astronomer, for Slate.

No, this asteroid that passed by Earth on Christmas Eve did not cause earthquakes . . . Slate.

Pluto’s moon in near-perfect alignment. Space.com.

These are cool: sky wolves. I don’t care if they’re Photoshopped. They’re awesome. The White Wolf Pack.

Take a visual tour of New York’s most beautiful subway station, abandoned since 1945. Hyperallergic.

China’s ghost cities: the largest urbanization movement in the world. CBC’s The Current.

This 800 year old Icelandic hymn is pretty damned special. Pulptastic.

I haz a want. Samurai hoodies 🙂 Rocket News 24.

More evidence of the cleverness of crows from Phys.org.

So they built this hotel over an elephant migration route . . . Mental Floss.

David Wong shares the real meaning of Christmas that everyone forgets. Cracked.

Have a great time tonight and celebrate with the ones you love.

The future is yours to make. Make the most of it!

Thoughty Thursday

Thoughty Thursday: Things that made me go hmmmm on the interwebz, Nov 29-Dec 5, 2015

/ Melanie Marttila / 2 Comments

What you should do in an active shooter situation. I can’t believe we need posts like this, but an ex-pat friend confesses she’s already had active shooter drills at her workplace. The Art of Manliness.

Will Canada be able to resolve the problems of its First Nations as quickly as it’s providing homes for Syrian refugees? It’s a valid question. The Globe and Mail.

Not everything happens for a reason. Bright Side.

The Unbound Spirit offers thirteen things you need to remember if you love a person who suffers from anxiety.

The decline of play can result in the increase in children’s mental disorders. Psychology Today.

This special agent crow proves he’s more than a bird brain. Daily Megabyte.

Brainpickings shares The Silent Friends, a lovely short film about our abiding bond with trees.

Canadian home care is suffering, but what about its patients? The Globe and Mail.

Lovely photograph of a lazy fox. Joop Snijder.

The Budweiser 2015 Superbowl ad, lost dog. The feels.

 

Phil Plait shares the latest Pluto images on Slate.

Preservationists fight to save forgotten French castle. You know how I like abandoned places 🙂 Wimp.

The last of the granny witches. Appalachian Ink.

The spirit of Mother Christmas. Gather.

Mog’s Christmas Calamity is adorable. Metro.

A Christmas classic:

 

You, me, Saturday. Let the CanCon 2015 reportage begin!

Thoughty Thursday

Thoughty Thursday: Things that made me go hmmmm on the interwebz, Oct 18-24, 2015

/ Melanie Marttila

An interesting mixed bag this week.

How science helped to swing the Canadian election. The Guardian.

Michael Kimmel explains why gender equality is good for everyone, even men. TED Talks.

Shirley Cheechoo makes Brock University history. The Brock News.

Why blacks have Irish last names. Note: It was pointed out to me that there is a difference between indentured servitude and slavery. Something to keep in mind as you read. I’m not looking to be inflammatory.

Care for a road trip? You should try Ireland’s wild Atlantic way. National Geographic.

Eric Barker offers three anger management tips from neuroscience. Time.

Happiness: eight awesome new facts you should know. PsyBlog.

How solitude can change your brain in profound ways. Jane Porter for Fast Company.

i09 presents the creepy world of abandoned asylums.

The teen who hacked into the CIA Director’s email explains how he did it. Wired.

What New Horizons is showing us about Pluto’s moon, Charon. Phys.org.

Jackfruit might be a meat substitute. And yes. It’s a fruit. The Business Insider.

The Issus coleoptratus is the only insect that has biological gears. The Smithsonian.

There are whales alive today that were born before Moby Dick was written. The Smithsonian.

An animal shelter on Kauai allows visitors to take dogs on day trips. This is sweet. The Los Angeles Times.

Florence + the Machine: Delilah.

Sorry to say, but Saturday posts are on hold until NaNoWriMo is over. Then, I’ll start in on the Can-con panel reportage.

In the meantime, look forward to Tipsday and Thoughty Thursday between now and then.

Have a great weekend!

Thoughty Thursday

Thoughty Thursday: Things that made me go hmmmm on the interwebz, April 19-25, 2015

/ Melanie Marttila

Not an overwhelming amount of thoughty this Thursday, but quality is the thing.

The tragic news of the week is the earthquake in Tibet. Zee News.

Before and after images of the devastation from Think Progress.

My thoughts and prayers, such as they are.

Last week I shared an article about how there are not enough psychiatrists and too many in need. This week: why Doctors don’t have clients . . . Psychiatric Times.

Your passion isn’t your bliss; nor is it your bitch. Justine Musk.

Sir Ken Robinson on how creative schools can transform education. CBS News.

Cancer research in Sudbury is making progress. Here’s the news article and the interview from Morning North. CBC.

Neil deGrasse Tyson’s ambition is to make science hip. LA Times.

Shedding light on dark matter and dark energy with Patricia Burchat. TED Talk.

Life in the deep ocean, a TED Talk by David Gallo.

North Brother Island: the last unknown place in New York city. Brainpickings.

More abandoned places. This time: Creepy brothels. Scribol.

When cancer in dogs isn’t just a matter of bad luck. Vet Street.

If I fits, I sits! Why cats (of all sizes) love boxes. IFLS.

Watch an octopus catch and eat a crab. Wicked! Geekologie.

Diving giraffes and bouncing elephants. Awesome animation on i09.

I’ll catch up with you next on Satuday. Break a pencil until then.

Thoughty Thursday

Thoughty Thursday: Things that made me go hmmmm on the interwebz, March 29-April 4, 2015

/ Melanie Marttila / 3 Comments

Last week’s distressing news: another terrorist attack in Kenya. BBC.

Rinelle Harper gives a voice to the missing and murdered. The Globe and Mail.

The Boston Globe revisits Fukishima. Yes. Four years later, they are still cleaning up.

Related: Can you be socially conscious and happy? Vice.

Beautiful photos of gay and lesbian couples from the early part of the last century. Distractify.

George Takei is encouraging the boycotting of Indiana. MSNBC.

Some writers, like Chuck Wendig, have cancelled conference and convention appearances. Others, like Kameron Hurley, feel that despite their personal objections to Indiana’s new law, they a) don’t have the profile to make their non-appearance meaningful or financially viable, and b) don’t want to punish their fans by failing to show. It’s an interesting discussion.

Vsauce presents, the science of awkward:

HGTV goes inside Europe’s abandoned castles and chateaus.

Stanford’s new “pathfinding” class is pretty awesome. Wish I had that option when I went to university. Fast Company.

Assign people the tasks they love, not just the one’s they’re good at. 99u.

How to take a day off. Raptitude.com.

Eight reasons a vacation makes you better at your job. LifeHack.

Most antidepressants work based on an outdated theory. i09.

A medieval manuscript includes a potion that kills antibiotic-resistant MRSA. CBC.

How good is your eyesight? ASAP Science:

Philip Ball of the BBC writes about some of the best and oddest science-inspired music he’s discovered.

It turns out Carl Sagan’s billions of billions is about right:

The BBC shares this awesome infographic timeline of the future.

Tuktoyaktuk’s reindeer migration marks 80th year. CBC.

Strange but touching: dogs gather at the funeral of a woman who fed hungry animals. The Huffington Post.

This is just a bit of fun: 17 reasons you might have been thought a witch in 1692. Mental Floss.

Lindsey Stirling’s new video for “Take Flight” is Echser-esque 🙂

Walk off the Earth’s new video, Rule the World:

And that is your edutainment for the week.

Since I’m heading to Ad Astra this weekend, there may not be a Saturday post. I’ll try, but I can’t guarantee.

The good news: convention reportage will commence soon 🙂

Thoughty Thursday

Thoughty Thursday: Things that made me go hmmmm on the interwebz, Feb 22-28, 2015

/ Melanie Marttila / 2 Comments

Sadness of the week: Leonard Nimoy’s death. The New York Times.

What Mr. Nimoy taught Tobias Buckell.

Getting grief right. The New York Times.

A friend posted a lovely little bit from Desiderata. I wanted to share the whole piece with you, so here it is:

Desiderata

The pink kitchen that got lost in time. Little things.

19 creepily gorgeous abandoned places in Canada. Buzzfeed.

Would any of these designs be feasible? Cool? Yes. Gizmodo.

Do we really want to know if we’re alone in the universe? The Washington Post.

Bill C-51 is Canada’s anti-terrorist legislation. This piece on CBC’s The Current is an interesting listen. Critics sound out, including professor of literature, Allan Weiss, who discusses the dystopian implications.

What the Oscars can teach us about the craft of being good. Fusion.

 

Empowering women means empowering humanity. The UN Women channel on YouTube.

 

This was my Friday: I can’t adult today. PandaWhale.

Looking forward to the weekend already!

See you on Saturday for the Next Chapter.

Thoughty Thursday

Thoughty Thursday: Things that made me go hmmmm on the interwebz, Feb 15-21, 2015

/ Melanie Marttila / 1 Comment

Emojis for introverts, brought to you by The Huffington Post.

Why we’re part of a sexual spectrum, not a dichotomy. Nature.

Why even reasonable people still doubt science. National Geographic.

Pain really is all in your head. NPR.

More wonderful abandoned places from PBS Newshour.

And pictures of an abandoned Ontario house brought to you by HGTV.

Kids reacting to rotary phones:

 

Hilarious dog fetch fails:

 

Zoo babies from The Smithsonian Channel:

 

A Muppet classic for you:

 

Absolutely loving Florence + the Machine’s latest:

 

And that, she be it ’til Saturday.

Thoughty Thursday

Thoughty Thursday: Things that made me go hmmmm on the interwebz, Jan 25-31, 2015

/ Melanie Marttila / 1 Comment

It’s provincial by-election day here in the Sudz. Lot’s of controversy flying about lately. We’ll see what the people decide.

Fast Company makes the case for treadmill desks.

The ideal work schedule as determined by circadian rhythms. The Harvard Business Review. Like my employer would ever let us do that!

Time really is relative. It slows when we’re afraid, speeds up as we age, and gets warped when we’re on vacation. Brainpickings.

What would it look like if the world’s wealth was divided equally among all the world’s people? Thanks to the Observation Deck, now you know.

Another reason to unplug for a while: it turns out that you have to be bored to get creative. The Next Web.

The time to talk about end-of-life issues is now. The Atlantic.

It’s Okay to be Smart discusses five (plus one) weird involuntary behaviours:

 

Ever wonder what the underside of an iceberg looks like? You’re welcome. IFLS.

What this mega solar farm means for the future of clean energy. GigaOm.

From Quarks to Quasars introduces us to “Super Saturn,” the planet with a huge-normous ring system.

What can these ancient planets tell us about the possible civilizations in their pasts? i09.

The Telegraph offers photos of 17 haunting Holocaust memorials.

“Let’s go fly a drone over Auschwitz,” said one clever BBC cameraman. World.Mic

The lost and abandoned places theme continues this week with England’s abandoned theme parks. BBC News.

What happens to all the fish trapped in a flooded and then abandoned mall in Bankok? A friend suggested eels might be more numerous than the fish (!) Gizmodo.

Would you spend a year in the woods to create art? A friend commented that this was distinctively Blair Witch-y. I agree, but it’s awesome nonetheless. BoredPanda.

Lindsay Stirling covers Senbonzakura:

 

Could you imagine trying to feed this pack of Samoyeds in a non-chaotic manner? Forget them, what about trying to feed yourself with all those hungry puppy eyes watching you?

Getting all thoughty all over your Thursday 🙂

Guess what? TOMORROW IS FRIDAY!

Let the dancing begin.

Thoughty Thursday