archaeology

Thoughty Thursday: Popping your mental corn, Jan 29-Feb 4, 2023

/ Melanie Marttila / 1 Comment

How’s your week going? Ready to get your mental corn popping in time for the weekend? Let’s go!

Scott Neuman shares three things to know about Black History Month. NPR

What is Juneteenth and why is it important? Karlos K. Hill and Soraya Field Fiorio. TED-Ed

Joanna Lonsdale and Jane Downs reveal the lost history of Tynemouth’s Holocaust safe home for girls. BBC

This injectable biomaterial heals tissues from the inside out. UC San Diego

Jadine Ngan explains why we made fewer memories during the pandemic. The Walrus

Fred Lewsey reports that tuning into brainwaves speeds learning in adults. University of Cambridge

Katina Bajaj says that our brains aren’t meant to work at optimal efficiency. Here’s how to offload your thoughts. Fast Company

Julia Métraux: how did Amy Robsart die? Fertile ground for an Elizabethan mystery 😉 JSTOR Daily

Emily Zarevich introduces us to Elizabeth Siddall, the real life “Ophelia.” JSTOR Daily

Jane Draycott introduces us to the other Cleopatra. Aeon

Alexandra Witze wonders, will an artificial intelligence discover alien life? SETI utilizes AI. The picture of ET is a little condescending and, as my spouse reminds me, what everyone’s calling AI is actually an expert system. Nature

Joey Roulette explains what to expect during the green comet’s encounter with Earth. Reuters

Will Dunham: astronomers document a not-so-super supernova in the Milky Way. Reuters

Becky Ferreira reports that archaeologists discover 1.2-million-year-old workshop in mind blowing find. Motherboard | Vice

Oliver Milman reports that US renewable energy farms outstrip 99% of coal plants economically. The Guardian

True facts: the smartest slime. Ze Frank

UK to restore swathes of wildlife habitat and provide a home for hedgehogs. Reuters

Charlotte Hilton Anderson list 28 ways your pet says, “I love you.” Reader’s Digest

Do all animals play? Be Smart

Thank you for visiting. I hope you took away something to inspire a future creative project.

Until my next chapter weekly update, be well and stay safe; be kind and stay strong. The world needs your stories!

Thoughty Thursday: Popping your mental corn, Jan 22-28, 2023

/ Melanie Marttila

Welcome to February, my writerly friends! It’s time, once again, to get your mental corn popping.

Betsy Golden Kellem: finding Krao Farini. How sideshow “bearded ladies” reveal the racial biases underpinning Darwinian theory and (white) public perception. JSTOR Daily

2.8-billion-dollar settlement reached in class-action lawsuit over residential schools. CBC

Computer model of H1N1 virus shows universal vaccine promise. UC San Diego

Inori Roy reveals the mental health crisis on the other end of the phone. The Walrus

Wearable sensor uses ultrasound to provide cardiac imaging on the go. UC San Diego

Will Sullivan: these ants were trained to sniff out cancer. The Smithsonian Magazine

The stickiest non-sticky substance. Veritasium

Cory Doctorow discusses the “enshittification of TikTok. He knows his, er, shit 🙂 Wired

RaiBo is a versatile robo-dog that runs over sandy beach at three metres per second. Tech Xplore

Ben Turner reports that radio signal from eight billion light-years away could reveal secrets of universe’s “dark age.” Live Science

Alexandra Witze wonders, has Earth’s inner core stopped its strange spin? Nature

What if alien life was silicon-based? PBS Space Time

Matthew Weaver: digital scans unwraps secrets of 2,300-year-old mummy. The Guardian

Jennifer Ouellette: archaeologists discover a new papyrus of the Egyptian Book of the Dead. Ars Technica

Bridget Alex unpacks the jungle realm of the snake queens. Archaeology

Rachel Bronson wonders how close are we to the end of the world? The Doomsday Clock. The Walrus

Thanks for visiting. I hope you found something to inspire a future creative project.

Until my next chapter weekly update, be well and stay safe; be kind and stay strong. The world needs your stories!

Thoughty Thursday: Popping your mental corn, Dec 25-31, 2022

/ Melanie Marttila

It is time, for the first time in 2023, to get your mental corn popping!

32 ways to be better at life. Facetious and personal, but fun. Struthless

New biomarker test can detect Alzheimer’s neurodegeneration in blood. University of Pittsburg Medical Centre

Yasemin SaplaKoglu: what causes Alzheimer’s? Scientists are rethinking the answer. Quanta

NIH researchers use 3D bioprinting to create eye tissue. It’s being used for research for now, but could there be other applications? The National Institutes for Health | National Eye Institute

Watch the latest water satellite unfold its solar panels. Phys.org

23 astronomical events to look for in 2023. Stacker

Tim Stephens reveals that the Bering Land Bridge formed surprisingly late during the last ice age. UC Santa Cruz

Molly Rosbach and Loren Davis report that Oregon State archaeologists uncover the oldest known projectile points in the Americas. Oregon State University

Polar bears disappearing from Churchill, Manitoba (Canada), the polar bear capital of the world. The Guardian

Thanks for stopping by. I hope you took away something to inspire a future creative project.

Until next tipsday, be well and stay safe; be kind and stay strong. The world needs your stories!

Thoughty Thursday: Popping your mental corn, Dec 26, 2021-Jan 1, 2022

/ Melanie Marttila

We’re a bit short on the thoughty this week. What there is, is interesting, though. Get your mental corn popping. At least a little.

Maryn McKenna: covid will become endemic. The world must decide what that means. Wired

Nishita Jha: welcome to the jungle. On the Smithsonian’s #metoo moment. Buzzfeed

The real reason we’re all so busy (and what to do about it). Dorie Clark | TEDxBoston

The European Space Agency is opening a 50-year-old Christmas present from the moon. Phys.org

Louise Lerner: to find the very highest energy ghost particles in the universe, a new detector will soar over Antarctica. SciTech Daily

The most anticipated space missions of 2022. SciShow Space

Ayesha Rascoe: it’s not science fiction. Scientists have really made robots that reproduce. NPR

Becky Ferreira reports that cavers reach the bottom of an ancient “well of hell” for the first time. Vice

Andrew Curry reveals the immense mystery older than Stonehenge. BBC

Thanks for stopping by. I hope you took away something to inspire a future creative project.

Until next tipsday, be well and stay safe; be kind and stay strong. The world needs your stories!

Thoughty Thursday: Popping your mental corn, Sept 19-25, 2021

/ Melanie Marttila

It’s Truth and Reconciliation Day in Canada! Here’s how you can participate. Afterward, get your mental corn popping with any or all of the following:

Jessica Nordell explains why some people get dangerously different health care: the bias that blinds. The Guardian

Janelle Harris Dixon: when a Black woman disappears, who’s trying to find her? Zora

Kelsey Vlamis reports that 710 Indigenous people, mostly girls, were reported missing in Wyoming, the same state where Gabby Petito disappeared. Insider

London’s first Indigenous-led family centre with language and culture at its core gears up for official opening. CBC

George Monbiot is shocked to see so many leftwingers lured to the far right by conspiracy theories. The Guardian

Nick Boisvert: Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig returned to Canada after being detained in China for almost three years. CBC

Erica Pandey: the pandemic made our work weeks longer. Beware burnout, people! Axios

Justin Bachman reports that SpaceX’s Inspiration4 flight touches down off Florida coast. Bloomberg

Was the big bang a white hole? Dr. Becky

Bill Gourgey presents the Brilliant 10: the most innovative, up-and-coming minds in science. Popular Science

Micha Hiugen: file not found (or, how digital natives don’t understand information management and architecture). The Verge

Sonia Fernandez cites evidence that a cosmic impact destroyed ancient city in the Jordan Valley. Phys.org

Dr. Kevin Dann: the spiralist. ‘Cause spirals! Public Domain Review

Joe Fassler reports that lab-grown meat is supposed to be inevitable, but the science tells a different story. Long, but worthwhile. Like many new, potentially climate saving technologies, the real costs aren’t apparent, but we can’t solve those problems unless further research is done. The Counter

This simple code is behind nature’s most complex patterns. It’s okay to be smart

Danny Funt says that pets can help fight climate change with an insect-based diet. Their owners just need to come around to the idea. The Washington Post

Thanks for taking the time to stop by. I hope you took away something to inspire a future creative project.

This weekend, I should be posting my next chapter update for September.

Until then, be well and stay safe; be kind and stay strong. The world needs your stories!

Thoughty Thursday: Things that made me go hmmmm on the interwebz, Feb 21-27, 2021

/ Melanie Marttila

Happy Friday eve 🙂 It’s time to get your mental corn popping!

Daniel Prude protest in Rochester ends, but organizers vow to return. Democrat & Chronicle

David K. Li reports that an independent probe accuses police and paramedics of wrongdoing in the death of Elijah McClain. NBC News

Marcus P. Nevius delves into the legacy of racial hatred behind the January 6 insurrection. JSTOR Daily

Malcolm X’s family demands his murder investigation be reopened. BBC

Erin Blakemore: Black women have been writing history for over a century. JSTOR Daily

Katelyn Burns: why police single out trans people for violence. Vox

Stella Chan and Leah Asmelash: Angelo Quinto dies after police kneel on his neck for five minutes. CNN

Meaghan Beatley introduces us to Frida Guerrera, the Mexican detective hunting the men who kill women. The Guardian

Andrea Hill and Ryan Kessler report that the lack of funding for piped water on Saskatchewan First Nations means some of reserves can’t drink from their taps. Global News

Andrea Warner: for decades, Buffy Sainte-Marie has had to navigate systemic barriers to cultivate her art. The Globe and Mail

Robert Reich: Texas freeze reveals chilling truth—that the rich use climate change to divide us. The Guardian

Jennifer Moss says, brain fog is a real thing. CBC

Vignesh Ramachandran: Stanford researchers identify four causes of “Zoom fatigue” and their simple fixes. Stanford News

Chi Luu considers the punk rock linguistics of cottagecore. JSTOR Daily

Percy returns a recording of the wind on Mars. SoundCloud

And here’s video of the landing and some of the first images courtesy of CBC.

Kim Fahner writes a love letter to Laurentian University. The Republic of Poetry

Artist “finger paints” masterpieces in the dust of dirty Moscow trucks. Return to Now

Helena Smith reports that a 20-million-year-old petrified tree is found intact in Lesbos. The Guardian

Molly Blackall: rare Amazonian cactus flowers for the first time in UK. The Guardian

Krista Langlois explains why scientists are starting to care about cultures that talk to whales. The Smithsonian Magazine

Thank you for stopping by, and I hope you found something to inspire your next creative project.

This weekend, I should be putting up my next chapter update.

Until then, be well and stay safe, be kind, and stay strong. The world needs your stories!

Thoughty Thursday: Things that made me go hmmmm on the interwebz, Dec 1-5, 2020

/ Melanie Marttila

It’s time to get your mental corn popping!

Khari Johnson report how Stanford rushed to comply with Trump executive order limiting diversity training. Venture Beat

Three questions to ask yourself about everything you do. Stacey Abrams TED

Richard Frishman: the ghosts of segregation. The New York Times

Karens and cancel culture. Chelsea Handler on Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man. Emmanuel Acho

Racism is a public health crisis. SciShow Psych

Vanessa Romo: judge orders Trump administration to restore DACA as it existed under Obama. NPR

Pesha Magid: the Middle East as old Hollywood saw it. Atlas Obscura

Mikelle Street shares the news: Elliot Page announces he’s trans. Out

Robert Z. Pearlman: Mark Kelley becomes the fourth astronaut elected to Congress. Space

Dayla Alberge reports that “the Sistine Chapel of the Ancients” is found in the Amazon. The Guardian

Sarah Gibbens explains how pristine Arctic preserves will benefit wildlife and Inuit communities. National Geographic

True facts about snake and lizard tongues. Ze Frank

Thanks for stopping by. I hope you took away 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!

Thoughty Thursday: Things that made me go hmmmm on the interwebz, Sept 27-Oct 3, 2020

/ Melanie Marttila

Welcome to thoughty Thursday, your chance to get your mental corn popping.

It’s been a week.

Doha Madani reports that the Breonna Taylor Grand Jury recording will be made public. The truth will out? Today

In 2019, Beverly Moran revealed how slavery’s lingering stain on the US Constitution spoiled Elizabeth Warren’s wealth tax proposal. In light of a certain president’s tax evasion … The Conversation

Colette Pinchon Battle warns that climate change will displace millions. Here’s how we prepare. On climate migration and environmental racism. TEDWomen2019

Abraham Lustgarten: where will everyone go? How climate refugees cross continents. ProPublica

Danielle Kurtzleben explains America’s yawning wealth gap in nine charts. From 2015. I wonder if anything’s improved since? Vox

Keesha M. Middlemass says, time’s up: childcare providers are not America’s mammy. The Grio

Orange Shirt Day 2020.

Kristy Kirkup and Tu Thanh Ha cover Joyce Echaquan’s tragic death following her abuse by hospital staff. Systemic racism and white supremacy in Canada. The Globe and Mail

Steven Kissler: will the common cold protect you from coronavirus? The Conversation

Mara Gordon offers this advice: don’t wait for a covid-19 vaccine to get your shots—you need your flu vaccine now. NPR

Olivia Stefanovich reports that covid-19 may delay Liberal pledge to end long term boil water advisories on First Nations. How complicated is it to ensure that everyone has clean water? CBC

Ryan W. Miller: three more bodies of water may have been discovered on Mars. USA Today

SciShow Space reports on the finding as well as what we’re learning about the Sun’s corona.

Damian Carrington reports that a new super-enzyme eats plastic bottles six times faster. Is true recycling possible? The Guardian

Marthe de Ferrer: what is the blue heart of Europe and why does it need saving? EuroNews

Samy Magdy: archaeologists find 27 ancient coffins near the Step Pyramid of Djoser. Afar

Emily Zarka explains how gargoyles became monsters. Monstrum | PBS Storied

Kirsten Corely says, this is how you love someone with anxiety. Thought Catalog

SciShow Psych explains what aphantasia is.

Erica Gies explains why the National Park Service wants to cull tule elk. National Geographic

Matt Simon: fish form social networks—and they’re actually good. Wired

The BBC tells the tail (pun intended) of the cat who hitched a ride on a world-wide tour.

Lincolnshire Wildlife Park removes swearing parrots from public view. BBC

Thank you for visiting, and I hope you found something to support your next creative project.

Until next tipsday, be well and stay safe, be kind, and stay strong. The world needs your stories.

Thoughty Thursday: Things that made me go hmmmm on the interwebz, Sept 20-26, 2020

/ Melanie Marttila

It’s time to get your mental corn popping.

BLM and covid-19 sections precede more general links.

Tessa Duvall offers a fact-check on the Breonna Taylor case. USA Today

Dylan Lovan, Piper Hudspeth Blackburn, and John Minchillo report on the two Louisville officers shot during the Breonna Taylor protests. Why? “The violence comes after prosecutors said two officers who fired their weapons at Taylor, a Black woman, were justified in using force to protect themselves after they faced gunfire from her boyfriend. The only charges were three counts of wanton endangerment against fired Officer Brett Hankison for shooting into a home next to Taylor’s with people inside.” AP News

Russell Contreras reveals how the story of the underground railroad to Mexico is gaining attention. Associated Press

Jacinda Townsend explains how the Green Book helped Black travellers navigate a segregated nation. Yes, this is from 2016. These conversations aren’t new. The Smithsonian Magazine

Sam Levine explains how Republicans gutted the biggest voting rights victory in recent history. Voter suppression/poll taxing in action. The Guardian

Mohammed Elnaiem revisits the death of South African activist Steve Biko. JSTOR Daily

Nicole Karlis reports that a covid vaccine may only last for a year based on the most recent findings. Salon

Olga Khazan: a failure of empathy led to 200,000 deaths. It has deep roots. The Atlantic

How losing your job changes you. SciShow Psych

Richard Herzog explains how Aztecs reacted to colonial pandemics. JSTOR Daily

Richard Wolf calls Justice Ginsberg a superhero who never quit as she returns to Supreme Court one final time. Ginsberg is the first woman to lie in state. USA Today

Jackson Katz: violence against women—it’s a men’s issue. This TED talk is from 2012. Have we made significant progress since? TEDxFiDiWomen 

Ruth Tam advises you to lift your head and lower your arms—you just might feel better. NPR

Meghan Keane explains how to say no, for the people pleaser who always says yes. NPR

Stephen E. Nash: what fire archaeology tells us about the bringing of the American West. Atlas Obscura

The truth about dog years. SciShow

Thieving pikas in the Rockies. Because pikas are CUTE! The Nature of Things | CBC

Sarah Miller Llana considers the Sudbury model: how one of the world’s major polluters went green. Christian Science Monitor

It’s probably not life on Venus … but it could be. SciShow Space

Thor Benson reveals project A119 and the time we almost nuked the moon. Wild. Digital Trends

Alex Sanz: NASA astronaut Kate Rubins intends to vote from the ISS. AP News

Thanks for stopping by. I hope you found something to inspire your next creative project.

This weekend I should be posting my next chapter update for September (!) Seriously, where has the time gone?

Until then, be well and stay safe, my writerly friends.

Thoughty Thursday: Things that made me go hmmmm on the interwebz, May 31-June 6, 2020

/ Melanie Marttila

It’s time to get your mental corn popping.

Because I’m listening and learning and want to do better:

What a future without police could look like. Desmond Cole. Walrus talks.

Lawrence Hill on racism in Canada and the US after George Floyd’s death. CBC

 

Nadia Drake covers the Dragon capsule docking with the International Space Station. National Geographic

Dave Mosher: SpaceX’s Endeavour spaceship has made history by docking with the International Space Station with two NASA astronauts. Business Insider

SciShow Psych delves into the reason we’re having weird covid dreams.

Jessica Stewart shares this ancient Roman mosaic discovered in pristine condition beneath a vineyard in Italy. My Modern Met

Jennifer Pattison Tuohy: the beginner’s guide to propagating houseplants. Dwell

Emily Chung: these Canadian species are found nowhere else on Earth. CBC

Jake Rossen figures out what pets see when they watch television. Mental Floss

Thanks for visiting and I hope you found something to inspire a future creative project.

Until next tipsday, be well and stay safe, be kind, and stay strong. The world needs your stories.

ThoughtyThursday2019