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

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, May 1-7, 2016

CBC covers of the Fort McMurray wildfire and evacuation. Heart-wrenching.

Before you get teary (all over again), the answer to this somewhat sensationalist headline question is yes. Quite a bit, actually. Meagan Campbell asks, is there hope for the pets of Fort McMurray?  MacLean’s Magazine.

In fact, West Jet made it possible for evacuees to take their pets with them. This feel-good piece from Buzzfeed.

NASA names a facility in honour of Katherine Johnson, the mathematician who calculated astronaut trajectories. Collect Space.

Jon Mooallem reports on the amateur cloud society that (sort of) rattled the scientific community. New York Times Magazine.

Alex Newman shares the story of a nurse who helps the homeless die with dignity. The Toronto Star.

Jerrold C. Winter examines what the reporting on Prince’s death reveals about our understanding of pain management. Slate.

Depression is a disease of civilization: hunter-gatherers hold the key to a cure. Return to now.

Maria Konnikova explores how people learn to become resilient. The New Yorker.

Being vulnerable is one of the more important things to master in our lives. Jodi Fraser for Elephant Journal.

More western doctors are prescribing yoga therapy. Susan Enfield for Yoga Journal.

Steven Pace reviews a study that finds trees are linked to the reduction of psychological stress. PsyPost

Terri Windling shares some May Day love 🙂

Linton Weeks looks at female husbands in the 19th century for NPR history.

I didn’t know where to put this. Something to keep in your back pocket for your next trivia night? Opium soaked tampons were the Midol of ancient Rome. Atlas Obscura.

Melissa Wiley shares stunning photos of Africa’s oldest trees, framed by starlight. The Smithsonian Magazine.

Hefty shares 20 pieces of ingenious street art.

Hope you got a few inklings from this.

Now it’s time to go write 🙂

This weekend: The Ad Astra 2016 reportage begins.

Tipsday

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

Light-headed? Yeah, I think so. Oh! Happy Cinco de Mayo!

Your thoughty funny for the week:

First, Newsner reports that farts can prevent cancer. Then, IFLS reports that theory stinks.

NASA’s ‘impossible EM drive works: German researcher confirms it can take us to the moon in four hours. Physics-Astronomy.

Then a friend shared this MIT Technology Review article: the curious link between the fly-by anomaly and the ‘impossible’ EM drive thruster.

If Saturn was this close on May 1st, we’d all be dead. Phil Plait for Slate.

Lucy Orr reviews the evolution of AI in popular culture. The Register.

How the “Moth Radio Hour” helped scientists map out meaning in the brain. Amina Khan for The LA Times.

The secret language of narcissists, sociopaths, and psychopaths: how abusers manipulate and traumatize their victims. The Minds Journal.

The Awesome Daily has collected these pictures of the 40 most breathtaking abandoned places in the world.

Cosmopolitan lists 22 of the most beautiful places in the world.

Dala sings Red is the Rose.

 

Priming the pump, popping the mental corn, call it what you will, I hope it happened.

Now . . . go write!

Thoughty Thursday

Thoughty Thursday: Things that made me go hmmmm on the interwebz, April 17-23, 2016

Lots of videos for your edutainment this week 🙂

Science confirms: men are terrified of smart women. I was sceptical. Not all men are like Phil, or most of the men I know, I guess. The Mind Journal.

Speaking of smart women . . . Melissa McCarthy can’t get respect. The Vulture.

Lolly Daskal shares seven rituals successful people use to de-stress and stay productive. Inc.

Jordan Gray asks four honest-as-fuck questions that we can use to chart our courses to bliss.

Money can buy happiness, but only if you spend it the right way. Quartz.

Tor Constantino helps us switch from pursuing happiness to being happy with these five tips. Entrepreneur.

James Webb writes about existential depression in gifted children. Creatives of any age tend to succumb to this. The Unbounded Spirit.

Time captures the aftermath of the recent Japan earthquakes.

Tesla unveils a new battery that can power your home off the grid. Eat Tomorrow.

NASA saw something come out of a black hole for the first time. Blastr.

On SciShow: Restless leg syndrome. It’s a thing. I have it when I get anaemic.

 

It’s okay to be smart looks at how slime molds are redefining our idea of intelligence.

 

ASAP Thought wonders, what makes tattoos permanent?

 

And . . . should you swear more often?

 

Ask a Mortician delves into a bog body murder mystery.

 

Patrick Lynch supplies proof that the Pythagorean Theorem predated Pythagoras. Phys.org

The White Wolf Pack shares some amazing photos of the Sami, Finland’s indigenous people.

If you like abandoned places as much as I do, you owe it to yourself to check out Iris van Wolferen’s site.

Dangerous Minds presents Herbert Baglione’s eerie shadow paintings in an abandoned psychiatric hospital.

Ten really weird crow facts. Aves Noir.

Beethoven’s 5th in the style of Chopin by Syd R. Duke.

 

Les frissons musicale! The Amalgamation Choir.

 

And, on that note (pun intended) I’m out of here until next Tipsday!

Have a fabulous weekend!

Thoughty Thursday

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

It’s mega-thoughty Thursday this week 😉

This is the next emergent issue in Canada: the quality of life in First Nations. This is our Prime Minister’s next big challenge. One First Nation has become the focus of media, recently, but it is not the only place where living conditions have been shown to be deplorable.

Attawapiskat in the news:

Just because our Prime Minister’s a geek (and yes, I realize he was dodging a question, but he did it well, don’t you think?).

 

Sandra Martin explains why we need better end-of-life policies in seniors’ residences. The Globe and Mail.

North Carolina passed ridiculous legislation that discriminates against transgendered people in the name of safety. Lindsay King-Miller covers the issue for role reboot.

Carla Ciccone wrote an article to warn women about Jian Gomeshi and it nearly destroyed her life. Chatelaine.

Samhita Mukhopadhyay wonders, will ‘it’s on us’ finally put an end the sexual assault on America’s college campuses? I hope so. It’s time and long past. Mic.com

Jia Tolentio explains how empowerment became a product for women to buy. The New York Times Magazine.

Leah McLaren explains why she’s teaching her son to embrace the ‘girlish.’ The Globe and Mail.

James Phelps, MD, makes the distinction between borderline personality disorder and bi-polar disorder. The Psychiatric Times.

The Mighty shares the secrets of people with anxiety.

 

Nancy C. Andreasen shares the secrets of the creative brain. The Atlantic.

I didn’t know where to put this tasty tidbit: How to see all the companies tracking you on Facebook and block them. Tech Insider.

The Shell Grotto in Margate, England.

 

Göbeklitepe. An amazing ancient site.

 

Photos of the Fukushima exclusion zone show how nature has taken over in a few years. BoredPanda.

Phil Plait debunks the planet nine comet scare for Slate.

Yuri Milner develops Breakthrough Starshot. CBC.

Phil Plait presents a tale of three Jupiters in four parts. Part one: A lonely young Jupiter wanders the galaxy. Part two: A Jupiter analogue orbits another star. Part three: Jupiter’s brother has three suns. And, finally, part four: Great Jupiter’s ghost! Slate.

Where do minds belong? In this fascinating essay, Caleb Scharf speculates on the fate of human, and alien, intelligence. Aeon.

Ariana Eunjung Cha examines Sean Parker’s revolutionary project to ‘solve’ cancer for The Washington Post.

Sarah Laskow considers the original copy of the Malleus Malificarum in Cornell’s witchcraft collection for Altas Obscura.

Food in its growing state 🙂 Bright Side.

Dog shaming always makes me smile. They know we’ll always forgive them 😉 Here are a couple of sites to bookmark in case you need a mid-week pick-me-up. Dogshaming and Dog Shame Awards.

Be Deutsch! Just AWESOME.

 

All the best.

See you on Saturday!

Thoughty Thursday

Thoughty Thursday: Things that made me go hmmmm on the interwebz, April 3-9, 2016

I hope you’re all visual learners, ‘cause this thoughty Thursday’s jam-packed with videos!

It’s autism acceptance month 🙂

Photographer, Michelle Marshall, documents Afro-Caribbean gingers. Black Girl Long Hair.

Ten inspiring Muslim women every person should know.

 

Mike Veny: Mental illness is an asset. TED Talk.

 

A psychiatrist thinks the key to happiness might be swallowing the right bacteria. Business Insider.

Things about anxiety nobody talks about. The Mighty.

 

Six reasons why touch is amazing. ASAP Thought.

 

Vi Hart muses on the tools we use.

 

Crash course physics is here! Phil Plait for Slate.

The first photograph of light as both particle and wave. Phys.org

The music of the spheres. Literally. EWAO.

Jessica Cail on NOVA’s secret lives of scientists 🙂

 

WWF Hungary released this amazing video – Paper world. Vimeo.

It’s okay to be smart asks, how do bees make honey?

 

And for your entertainment:

MsMr – Wrong Victory

 

And Florence + The Machine. Queen of Peace & Long and Lost.

 

Enjoy, my friends.

See you on Saturday for an origin story and some anime series discoveries.

Thoughty Thursday

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

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

Thoughty Thursday: Things that made me go hmmmm on the interwebz, March 20-26, 2016

Topics run the gamut in this week’s batch of thoughty. I was hard pressed to know how best to present it all. I hope nothing jars too much. Then again, sometimes you need a week jolt to get the big squishy (brain) into gear 😉

This is why Finland has the best schools. The Syndey Morning Herald.

National Arts Centre to launch indigenous theatre in 2019. The Globe and Mail.

Tay exposes the lies we tell ourselves about racists. New Republic. Peter Bright reviews the Tay AI debacle for Ars Technica.

UN Women ask men and women to switch roles:

 

One woman tells her story of reporting sexual abuse. The Globe and Mail.

Scaachi Koul: I hope the Ghomeshi verdict makes you fucking furious. You know? It really does. Buzzfeed.

Barbara Moran writes about her mother’s death and how it indicates a greater system failure. The New York Times.

Your drunken aunt was right: the art of the hot toddy. Vinepair.

University Affairs devotes an entire issue to mental health and universities.

Brenda Knowles knows how to save an introvert/extrovert relationship.

Kira Asatryan offers six simple strategies for being happy alone. Time Magazine.

ASAP Thought. Should you trust your astrological sign?

 

Einstein is (almost) always right. It’s okay to be smart.

 

The equinox isn’t what you think it is. It’s okay to be smart.

 

NASA captures the crazy shockwave of an exploding star. Slate.

Earth is about to pass through the tail of Halley’s Comet, giving us a month of meteor showers. IFLS.

Another lovely picture of a strange geological formation on Mars. Slate.

19 pieces on non-human DNA found in the human genome. Yup we got junk in there. IFLS.

Covão dos conchos. A-MA-zing! The real interesting part in about 2:25.

 

Looks like Monty Python had it right. Rabbits (in medieval times) were deadly! The Poke.

Explore the tear-filled (and slightly creepy) world of Marina Bychkova’s dolls.

The White Wolf Pack shares these lovely photos of ravens. Have I even mentioned that corvus corvus rocks my world?  😉

Hope something in this mix gets those fingers moving on the keyboard. Inspiration’s what this is all about.

All the best until Saturday when my next chapter update lands!

Thoughty Thursday

Thoughty Thursday: Things that made me go hmmmm on the interwebz, March 13-19, 2016

Short on the thoughty this week (again).

Since this past week included St. Patrick’s Day, Quirk Books decided to share three magical Irish creatures cooler than Leprechauns.

On St. Patrick’s Day, I went to see a new local Celtic folk band, Fagroongala. Here’s the interview from CBC’s Morning North. They were awesome, by the way 😉

Creativity requires time.

 

Cree mythology is written in the stars. CBC’s Unreserved.

Rob O’Flanagan takes grief for a walk in the woods. Guelph Today.

Do fame and material success make you happy? Think for yourself.

 

The #IStandUp #WomenNotObjects campaign highlights the harm done to society by objectifying women.

 

Apparently, burning NH4Cr2O7 and HgSCN opens a portal to hell . . .

 

Hope you’ve been inspired. See you Saturday!

Thoughty Thursday

Thoughty Thursday: Things that made me go hmmmm on the interwebz, March 6-12, 2016

A few videos, some abandoned (and recovered) places, a bit of science, and some feels. Enjoy!

Susan Engel believes that joy is a subject schools lack. The Atlantic.

Reshma Saujani’s TED talk: Teach girls bravery, not perfection.

Caitlin Moran lists 12 things about being a woman that women won’t tell you. Esquire. Funny and true 🙂

Justin Trudeau: Gender equality is an opportunity, not a threat. The Globe and Mail.

Finland’s parliament: pioneer of gender equality. This is Finland.

Converted church—including graveyard—for sale as family home. Would you? If I had the money, I certainly would!

This 300 year old house has been completely renovated. Bright Side.

The Daily Mail shares these amazing pictures of a secret underground WWI hospital.

Francine Christophe: Human.

 

Scientists studying the DNA of ancient Europeans find evidence of a major population upheaval at the end of the last Ice Age. Doug Bolton for The Independent.

Another fast radio burst update from Phil Plait. Slate.

How do we know global warming is real? Phil Plait recommends a Tamino blog post that does a really good job answering that question. Slate.

Solar energy product rolls out like a carpet. Inhabitat.

To get you in the mood for St. Patrick’s Day, here’s part one of the National Film Board’s The Fairy Faith. Bailey Cotton.

 

For the feels. Eric and Peety, a mutual rescue story.

 

See you on Saturday!

Thoughty Thursday