Astronomy

Thoughty Thursday: Things that made me go hmmmm on the interwebz, Feb 19-25, 2017

/ Melanie Marttila

It’s time to pop that mental corn, people.

In the war between Baby Boomers and Millennials, we’ve forgotten the hard-working, hard-playing Generation X. Um, no. We haven’t. Interesting article nonetheless. David Barnett for The Independent.

Jon Brooks: Girl? Boy? Both? Neither? A new generation overthrows gender. KQED Science

How slavery changed the DNA of African Americans. Michael White for the Pacific Standard.

Sarah Dziedzic discusses African-Canadian history with Cheryl Foggo. Canadian Living

Tristan Hopper recounts how smallpox decimated BC. The National Post

Bruce Kasanoff: intuition is the highest form of intelligence. Forbes

Anna Lovind: what if you’re on the wrong train?

I love language, and so, when I saw this article on Queens, the linguistic hub of the world, I had to share. Thanks, Lori. You always post teh awesome. Gus Lubin for The Business Insider.

This makes me sad, though. Kat Eschner: four things that happen when a language dies. The Smithsonian Magazine

Elizabeth Kolbert writes about why facts don’t change our minds. The New Yorker

Phil Plait: SpaceX nails the landing after an historic launch. Blastr

Umir Abrar is slightly embarrassed. A giant, dark galaxy is orbiting ours, but astronomers just noticed it. Physics Astronomy

Seven Earth-sized planets found orbiting around a nearby (relatively speaking) star. Phil Plait for Blastr.

NASA presents a celebration of clouds.

Brian Cox explains how the Large Hadron Collider disproves the existence of ghosts. BBC

Healthy Holistic Living shows you how to make a bee waterer to help support pollinating insects 🙂

Lauren Cassani Davis: horses can read human facial expressions (more than dogs or chimpanzees). The Atlantic

Moby just released four hours of free music composed for yoga and meditation. Educate Inspire Change

Imogen Heap – Run-time.

 

I hope you’ve got some good ideas to fuel you through the week.

See you Saturday for my February 2017 update 🙂

Be well until then!

thoughtythursday2016

Thoughty Thursday: Things that made me go hmmmm on the interwebz, Dec 11-17, 2016

/ Melanie Marttila

If your brain’s already gone on holiday, have some thoughty fun with these offerings 🙂

Saw last week that Alan Thicke has passed away, too. It’s been such a sad year for performers and artists 😦 And political unrest. And Syria . . . Take heart. Here are 99 reasons 2016 was a great year. Medium

Christopher Dickey shares the tale of angels of the resistance (and one serial killer) in Nazi-occupied Paris. The Daily Beast

UN Women takes a stand against gender-based violence.

 

Eugene Soltes explores the psychology of white-collar criminals. The Atlantic

Matt Blitz tells the real story behind the myth of Area 51. Popular Mechanics

Annalee Newitz investigates the lost city of Cahokia under the St. Louis suburbs. Ars Technica

Amanda Gefter interviews Donald D. Hoffman: the case against reality. One of my favourite bits: “… we have evolution itself to thank for this magnificent illusion …” The Atlantic

Peter Dockrill: cellular reprogramming has been used to reverse the aging process in animals. Science Alert

Simon Oxenham explains why bees could be the secret to superhuman intelligence. BBC

Peter Brannen examines a possible break in one of evolution’s biggest mysteries. The Atlantic

Chris Jones reports on Sara Seager, the woman who might find us another Earth. The New York Times Magazine

Watch this cool BBC video about how one woman with Parkinson’s regained the ability to write and draw.

 

Robby Berman reports on filmmaker Adam Rosenberg’s hilarious video in which he shares some of his nocturnal musings. It’s called Somniloquist and you have to watch it. Nearly peed myself laughing. Slate

Olga Khazan explains how magic mushrooms help patients with severe anxiety and depression. The Atlantic

Lauren Vinopal lists the 18 best houseplants for cleaning the air, according to NASA. Fatherly

Julia Shaw: I’m a scientist, and I don’t believe in facts. Scientific American

George Dvorsky reports on what the brightest supernova ever seen really was. Gizmodo

Natalie Wolchover: quantum gravity research could reveal the true nature of time. Wired

‘Tis the season, so here’s sommat from Grimfrost on Vikings, Santa, and Christmas 🙂

 

Honest to Paws introduces us to the Akhal-Teke, the most beautiful horse in the world.

Hope your mental corn’s a-poppin’ fit to see you through the holiday frenzy 🙂

Have a good one, everyone!

thoughtythursday2016

Thoughty Thursday: Things that made me go hmmmm on the interwebz, Nov 27-Dec 3, 2016

/ Melanie Marttila

Just a little thoughty for you, this week. Keep in mind that I was finishing off NaNoWriMo for half the week 😉

Some helpful advice on fact-checking:

 

Alex Borgella explores several theories on what makes us laugh (and why we should care). Fast Company

Joe Pitawanakwat extols the benefits of cedar bough tea on the Creators Garden blog.

Jonathan Rosen reports on how Africa has found power off the grid. MIT Technology Review

Baback A. Tafreshi lists ten of the best ancient sites for stargazing. National Geographic

Phil Plait invites us to take a swing at the stars. Slate

Jenny Woodman takes a look at the women “computers” who revolutionized astronomy (and paved the way for women in the sciences). The Atlantic

Aw, kawaii! This rescued baby wombat bonds with his caretaker. Alexandra E. Petri for National Geographic.

I hope that popped your mental corn . . . a few kernels, at least.

See you on Saturday for some WorldCon reportage.

<waves>

thoughtythursday2016

Thoughty Thursday: Things that made me go hmmmm on the interwebz, Oct 23-29, 2016

/ Melanie Marttila

Let’s get that mental corn a-poppin’, shall we?

Terri Windling muses upon the death of the year. Myth & Moor

Shahan Russell writes about the mysterious death of Rasputin, the Siberian monk who brought down the Tsar of Russia. War History Online

The Medievalists present the medieval walking dead. Better that the latest series premiere? You be the judge.

Michael Livingston delves into the medieval origins of Hallowe’en. Tor.com

Debby Banham and Christine Voth explore the diagnosis and treatment of wounds in Old English medical collections. Medievalists

Archaeologists make a baffling Celtic find in France. The Vintage News

Ben Thomas shares his research into four great African empires that astonished the world. Medium

Discover Sanxingdui, the ancient Chinese city that’s older than Rome. The Vintage News

The tragedy of Meagen Pilon and human trafficking in Sudbury. Laura Stradiotto for The Sudbury Star.

Ashton Kutcher’s mission to end human trafficking has rescued 6000 people so far. The Earth Child

“Bitch.” Brave New Voices

 

Anxiety is an invalid excuse. Just Cut the Bullshit

Ephrat Livni: scientists explain how happiness makes us less creative. Quartz

Alan Watts – why your life is not a journey.

 

Andrew Griffin reports on signals from outer space that scientists believe could be messages from aliens. The Independent

Laura Parker digs into bioinspiration, the thrilling new science that could transform medicine. The Guardian

The man once thought to have spread HIV to America has been cleared by science. James Gallagher for the BBC.

Adam Capay’s treatment reflects poorly on corrections and on government. On all of us, really. The Globe and Mail

Remember Jumpy, the dog who does parkour? Well, he’s also the smartest dog in Hollywood. Amy Nicholson for MTV News.

Moar dog shaming?  Oh yeah! I waste so much time

Cosmic guinea pig.

 

The Pentatonix cover Hallelujah.

 

Thoughty Thursday will return, December 8th.

And watch for my two-month next chapter update on December 3rd.

Then, you can find out what I was doing instead of blogging in the month of November 🙂

Be well until then!

thoughtythursday2016

Thoughty Thursday: Things that made me go hmmmm on the interwebz, Oct 16-22, 2016

/ Melanie Marttila

Let’s get that mental corn a-poppin’!

Carol Mulligan explores the lore of the pour. The Sudbury Star

What are dreams? Drake Baer shares five of humanity’s best explanations for dreams. Science of Us

Anna Lovind: the shameless introvert.

Suzanne Lucas to employers: please stop punishing your employees for being introverted. Inc.

UpWorthy recommends Marzi’s cartoons to help others relate to intorversion and anxiety.

The Born Again Minimalist examines the gaslighting of the millennial generation.

Transgender rights bill passes key commons vote and heads to committee. The Globe and Mail

Too sweet, or too shrill? The double bind for women. Shankar Vedantam hosts the Hidden Brain podcast for NPR.

The transformative power of Moko. Michelle Duff for Broadly/Vice.

Cath Pound considers the great women artists that history forgot. BBC

Artist Toby Allen, who suffers from anxiety, illustrates mental illnesses as monsters. Bored Panda

Regina activists place warning labels on indigenous Hallowe’en costumes. CBC

I’m just going to leave this here. To the new culture cops, everything is appropriation. Cathy Young for the Washington Post.

Avaneesh Pandey: self-awareness may be a side effect of the brain trying to maximize entropy. International Business Times

Ben Paynter shares news about how the world is slowly winning the fight against Malaria. Fast Company

Sarah Knapton reports on how tool-making monkeys are prompting scientists to reconsider human evolution. The Telegraph

Bec Crew: scientists accidentally discover the process that turns CO2 into ethanol. This could change the world. Science Alert

Ross Pomeroy explains why Bill Nye changed his mind about GMOs. Real Clear Science

The mystery of the Bermuda Triangle may finally be solved . . . by meteorology. Cory Charlton for The New York Post.

Loren Grush explains how the ExoMars spacecraft will make its way to the surface of Mars. The Verge

Catch Space.com’s coverage of the landing and other astro-news.

Maddie Stone: Pluto’s skies look more Earth-like than we’d imagined. Gizmodo

A spiral galaxy defies the cosmic flow. In an expanding universe, it’s actually getting closer to us. Also: how big is Proxima Centauri’s planet? Later in the week, we learn that the Schiaparelli lander (crash) site can be seen from orbit. Phil Plait for Slate.

Can the multiverse explain the course of human history? Andrew Crummey for Aeon.

Puppers! Buzzfeed

Alex and Jumpy, the parkour dog 🙂

 

Just a reminder, this is your penultimate thoughty Thursday prior to my #NaNoWriMo break.

I’ll see you next Thursday, but after that, you won’t get your weekly dose of thoughty until December.

Respect your priorities.

Be well.

All my (virtual) love.

Mel

Thoughty Thursday

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

/ Melanie Marttila

And here we are in August . . . where has the year gone (so far)?

Jim C. Hines hosts a couple of special guests for this post on policing in problematic times.

Onto the good news . . .

Sudbury will get a new rooftop mural for this year’s Up Here Festival. CBC

Jennifer Wolkin recommends mindful eating for a healthier brain-gut connection. Mindful.

The discovery of the heart. Paul Kennedy’s Ideas, on CBC.

The Scottish Refugee Council: Courage.

 

Parmigiani Fleurier restores a 200 year old double barrel pistol and its animated songbird.

 

Nicole Prause: what women (don’t)  need. Nova’s secret life of scientists and engineers.

 

Bored Panda presents pictures of modern women wearing traditional Ukrainian crowns.

The Vintage News reports on crinolinemania, the dangerous Victorian fashion garment that killed nearly 3,000 women (!)

April Holloway reports: DNA testing on the 2,000 year old Paracas skulls may change anthropology. Ancient Origins.

It turns out you only need one hour of moderate activity to make up for a day’s sitting. Exactly what I didn’t need to hear (Mellie = sluggie). Jennifer Ouelette for Gizmodo.

Bill Gates, Warren Buffett, and Oprah Winfrey all use the five hour rule. Inc.

Dying is hard. Death Doulas want to help make it easier. Ellen McCarthy for The Washington Post.

Rosetta’s final resting place has been chosen. Phil Plait for Slate. Later in the week: A white dwarf zaps its red dwarf companion with a death ray.

Kevin Kelly wonders if we’re heading toward a Minority Report style future. Tech Insider.

Monarch butterfly population triples over last year. Terry Turner for Good News Network.

When a crow dies, other crows investigate. Katherine Ellen Foley for Quartz.

Watch the Chincoteague ponies complete their 91st annual swim. Jason Daley for the Smithsonian Magazine.

Humpback whales protect other sea animals from killer whale attacks, but no one knows why. IFLS.

Tony Wu captures amazing sperm whale rituals. bioGraphic

Happy Friday!

See you Saturday for July’s next chapter update 🙂

Thoughty Thursday

Thoughty Thursday: Things that made me go hmmmm on the interwebz, July 10-16, 2016

/ Melanie Marttila

There’s a lot of terrible things happening in the world today. Don’t worry I’m not all about the doom and gloom . . . just mostly.

A black police chief speaks out about the Dallas attacks. Juleyka Lantigua-Williams for The Atlantic.

Mother Jones shares President Obama’s speech at the Dallas Memorial.

Jim C. Hines offers some thoughts and links on Black Lives Matter.

Harvard study on police shootings and race offers some surprising results. The Tribunist. A friend conscientiously pointed me in the direction of a couple of other interpretations. Roland Fryer answers reader questions about his Harvard study. Amanda Cox for The New York Times. Dara Lind explains why she’s skeptical of Fryer’s study. Vox.

Henry Rollins: white America couldn’t handle what black America deals with every day. The L.A Times. My favourite bit: “I’m an educated, Caucasian, heterosexual male. Does this ensure I will have success and live the American Dream? Obviously it doesn’t, but it damn sure drops me on second base with a great opportunity to steal third.”

Locally, Paula Wharton invited the police chief to her home to talk race relations. CBC.

Scott Gilmore says that Canada’s racism problem is even worse than America’s. MacLean’s Magazine, January 22, 2015. I’d have preferred a more balanced look at the way both countries treat our Native North American peoples, or how we both treat our people of colour. Mixing it up doesn’t present either population in a way from which we could draw meaningful conclusions or find ways to take positive, supporting action.

Another  Canadian tragedy: Taliyah Marsman’s body found. CBC.

Well, this is no surprise . . . Canadians’ moral compass set differently from that of our neighbours to the south. Bruce Anderson and David Coletto present research for Abacus Data.

Let’s try for a little of the uplift, now.

Tara Isabella Burton explains why you should study theology, even if you don’t believe in god. The Atlantic.

The real story of the woman behind the Migrant Mother Depression era photos. The Vintage News.

Laurie Penny reports on life-hacks for the poor and aimless. What’s the real message behind the trend of self-care? The Baffler.

The Hurrian Hymn dates back to 1400 B.C. and it’s totally amazing 🙂 The Vintage News.

The spoon theory as explained by Christine Miserandino. ButYouDontLookSick.com

This photo of the Milky Way, taken in Namibia, looks like it was taken in the daytime. Photos are tricky. Phil Plait for Slate. He also presents evidence of a planet orbiting in a triple star system. Hubble shows us a beauty that hides a beast.

Jason Daley reports on a mission to Marianas Trench that records dozens of crazy deep sea creatures. Smithsonian Magazine.

This cyborg stingray is the coolest thing you’ll see all day. George Dvorsky for Gizmodo. Later in the week, George writes about ten predictions that should scare the hell out of you. Great fodder for SF? Methinks so!

Open Culture presents a 1965 video of Joni Mitchell performing . . . before she was Joni Mitchell.

I hope you’ve managed to pull some inspiration from this lot. I aim to be more uplifting next week. But we’ll see what fresh hell 2016 offers.

Practice gratitude. Breathe.

Be well.

Thoughty Thursday

Thoughty Thursday: Things that made me go hmmmm on the interwebz, June 5-11, 2016

/ Melanie Marttila

The Stanford rape case was all over the interwebz last week, as were the stunned reactions.

Jessica Valenti remembers her life as a sex object. The Guardian.

The rebel virgins and desert mothers who were written out of early Christian history. Alex Mar for Atlas Obscura.

Mallory Ortberg presents gleeful mobs of women murdering men in western art history. The Toast.

Hazel McCallion says, ageism is getting old. The Globe and Mail.

Adam Grant: unless you’re Oprah, ‘be yourself’ is terrible advice. The New York Times.

Teen suicides in Woodstock, Ontario prompt discussion of the effectiveness of anti-bullying programs. CBC’s The Current.

Iona Sharma: ‘A’gailleann’: on language-learning and the decolonisation of the mind. The Toast.

We learn more about our language by listening to the wolves. Holly Root-Gutteridge for Aeon.

John Beckett shares the reasons why he thinks the otherworld is bleeding through. Patheos.

Wow. Look at this self-sustaining community (Now This):

 

Indigenous communities are teaching scientists about nature. The comment that accompanied this article when shared by a friend: it took them this long to figure it out? Vox.

Gene drive therapy may be used to fight malaria. NPR.

Scientists discover a new cat species roaming Brazil. Monga Bay.

Oh, that’s what those bright spots on Ceres look like. Phil Plait for Slate.

Maryana Kopylova makes these alien toys. Space kittehs! Whatever, they’re cool. Brainberries.

This is Colossal shares Kevin Peterson’s hyperrealistic paintings of children and animals exploring urban remains.

ASAP Thought shares five ways to reduce mental health stigma.

 

Liz Fosslien and Molly West share six illustrations that show what it’s like in an introvert’s head. Susan Cain’s Quiet Revolution blog.

You’ll feel better at work with these two-minute habits. Robin Madell for The Business Insider.

This makes me happy 🙂 Pharrell Williams offers a masterclass to students at the NYU Clive Davis institute.

 

And . . . if you like lovely folk harmonies, you’ll want to watch this documentary of Dala’s tour to Alaska.

 

There is no light without the darkness and no darkness without the light.

Be well until next week.

Thoughty Thursday

Thoughty Thursday: Things that made me go hmmmm on the interwebz, May 8-14, 2016

/ Melanie Marttila

Lots of thoughty for your big squishy brains this week!

The Jian Gomeshi case was in the news again this week. Another complainant came forward, but chose not to go to court and accept a peace bond. The agreement? Gomeshi would admit his wrongdoing and apologize publically. Kathryn Borel released this statement outside court after the unsatisfying apology. The Toronto Star.

Sandy Garossino reports that Borel’s counterpunch blindsides Henein and knocks out Gomeshi. National Observer.

The UN champions essential services for survivors of violence against women and girls.

 

Here are a couple of fabulous articles by Lindy West. First, the ‘perfect body’ is a lie. Then, break the period taboo. The Guardian.

Are you a cool girl? ASAP Thought wants you to help dismantle the patriarchy 🙂

 

Latinos are now the largest ethnic group in California. The Los Angeles Times.

You may remember that I’ve mentioned in the past how careful we need to be with media reports of scientific studies. This explains why. Last Week Tonight with John Oliver: Scientific Studies.

 

How World War II changed Walt Disney. Time.

Clint Edwards gleans lessons from The Goonies, and from the loss of unsupervised time for kids. The Washington Post.

John Reed tells a tale almost too creepy to believe: my grandma, the poisoner. Vice.

The CDC releases new statistics on suicide in the US.

And on the other side of the death coin: when patients and doctors disagree about end-of-life care. The Washington Post.

Sarah Kurchak shares depression-busting exercise tips for people too depressed to exercise. The Establishment.

Not to be facetious, but Emily Hartridge lists 10 reasons why . . . she’s grateful to have anxiety.

 

BigThink offers proven tools for lifting a bad mood.

IndiHope lists 51 Dr. Seuss quotes on happiness.

This is just cool. The brain dictionary, on AmpLIFEied.

Kepler reveals a new bounty of exoplanets, including nine in the ‘Goldilocks’ zone. Phil Plait for Slate.

It’s okay to be smart. The cosmic afterglow:

 

William Gadoury discovers a link between the constellations and the locations of Mayan cities. YourNewsWire.com

And this is just funny. Ken Ham tried to disprove science using . . . science. Epic fail. Slate.

It’s okay to be smart: the most important moment in the history of life:

 

Weird science: can corpses turn to stone?

 

David Bowie on being authentic:

 

The Buddha Weekly focuses on the consciousness of non-human beings. I’m really sorry. I enjoy the meats 😦

Have a happy Friday, and we’ll see you on the weekend!

Thoughty Thursday

Thoughty Thursday: Things that made me go hmmmm on the interwebz, March 27-April 2, 2016

/ Melanie Marttila / 1 Comment

Here’s your thoughty for the week.

Buzzfeed features Katie Joy Crawford, a young photographer who has captured the essence of anxiety in her photographs.

Christine Denewith and Creigh Ferinas debunk eight myths about autism. Everyday Feminism.

Steven W. Thrasher says, don’t tell cancer patients what they could be doing to cure themselves. It’s our urge to do something to help that bites us in the butt here. Just be there. Take care of their kids for a while. Offer to do the running around for an exhausted partner. Hug them, if they can bear it. The Guardian.

Katie Roiphe explores the beauty of our final moments. CBC’s Q.

Silence may help to regenerate brain cells among other important functions. LifeHack.

Dublin observes the Easter Rising centenary. Irish Central.

Lifebuzz shares amazing footage of the Himalayas.

Take a virtual visit to Iceland’s Museum of Witchcraft. ScoopWhoop.

Australia’s Carnegie CETO wave power generator.

 

Yes. I confess I was attracted to this article by the word ‘unicorn’ (is it any relation to the badass unicorn?) but this rhino ancestor is still amazing. Shaena Montanari for Forbes.

Japan’s Hitomi satellite disappears and reappears mysteriously. Gizmodo.

This is the most detailed map to date of our place in the universe. Vimeo.

Hubble reveals the heart of the Milky Way. Phil Plait for Slate.

Do ravens know what you’re thinking? The California Academy of Sciences.

Your kawaii of the week: orphaned magpie bonds with boy. Photography by Cameron Bloom. This is Colossal.

Costa Rica’s land of the stray dogs is heaven for the unwanted. Bored Panda.

Not as extensive as Tipsday this week, but still, a solid showing in the brain pan department 😀

See you on Saturday for some series discoveries.

Thoughty Thursday