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Thoughty Thursday: Things that made me go hmmmm on the interwebz, Sept 24-30, 2017

/ Melanie Marttila

It’s time to get your mental corn popping!

Ibram Kendi, one of Americas leading racism scholars, says that love and education aren’t the answer. Lonnae O’Neal for The Undefeated.

Reni Eddo-Lodge posted this back in 2014: why I’m no longer talking to white people about race.

The reaction to the post, both from people of colour who shared her experience, and by white people who were changed by the post and begged her not to withdraw from the conversation, led Reni to write a book of the same name.

Now that book is out.

Colin Grant reviewed Reni and her book for The Guardian earlier this year: why “racism is a white problem.”

And, just last week, she was interviewed on The Link.

Do we really have two brains? It’s okay to be smart

 

And, honestly, I couldn’t not share this one. SciShow answers the question, why do your farts smell worse in the shower? Oh yeah. They went there 🙂

 

SoulSpot presents the Native American version of the zodiac.

Yes. This is silly. But we all need some silly sometimes, amirite? If you feel sad, just remember, horses can grow moustaches. Bored Panda

A puppy’s life – 1 day per second. What a mush face!

 

And that was thoughty Thursday.

Be well until the weekend!

thoughtythursday2016

Thoughty Thursday: Things that made me go hmmmm on the interwebz, July 16-22, 2017

/ Melanie Marttila

At this moment, I’m somewhere over the Atlantic (I hope) on my way to Hamburg via Reykjavik. And so , yes, this will be your last dose of thoughty for a few weeks.

The CBC takes a look at how the Phoenix debacle has affected Sudbury’s public servants.

Melanie Lefebvre: it’s not my job to teach you about Indigenous people. The Walrus

Yvette Brend explains how Indigenous fire wisdom is the key to megafire prevention. CBC

Willie Drye reports that Blackbeard’s ship is now confirmed to be off North Carolina’s coast. National Geographic

Tom Spender: teleportation of photons today, humans tomorrow? BBC

SciShow: CERN’s new particle and the oldest form of (animal) life.

 

Brenda Knowles offers some tips for coping with social anxiety and how to build resilience. Space2Live

Mark Brown: report reveals that the arts help in recovery from mental illness. The Guardian

Peter Dinklage – light up the night

 

Emily Reynolds reports on ravens and their theory of mind. Wired

Bored Panda lists 50 of the happiest dog memes ever.

I hope to be back on the blogging horse on the weekend of August 19 with a post about the Writing Excuses cruise.

Be well until my return.

thoughtythursday2016

Thoughty Thursday: Things that made me go hmmmm on the interwebz, June 11-17, 2017

/ Melanie Marttila

It’s time to get your mental corn popping!

Leonard Sumner: I know you’re sorry. CBC

Ivan Semeniuk charts Canada’s troubled waters. The Globe and Mail

Douglas Fox: Antarctica is melting and giant ice cracks are just the start. National Geographic

Simon Lock explains the new theory of how the moon formed. Scientific American

ASAP Science wonders if binge watching is good for you …

 

Ryan Kost covers one family’s experience with their transgender child: finding himself. An excellent and honest portrayal. The San Francisco Chronicle

Kerri Anne Renzulli looks at how different generations view youth and age. Money

Clementine Morrigan shares three thoughts on emotional labour. Guts Magazine

Kerin Higa interviews Michael Gazzaniga on his split brain research and what he’s discovered. NPR

Timothy Morton is the philosopher prophet of the Anthropocene. Alex Blasdel for The Guardian.

An Aztec temple emerges in the heart of Mexico City. The New York Times

Archaeologists in northern Iceland discover Viking age chief buried in his ship with his sword and his dog. (That’s how this shield maiden would like to go …) Iceland Magazine

Veterinary technician Kelsey Beth Carpenter lists five things you should know before euthanizing your dog (number one is it’s okay to cry). Pup Journal

Sad and Useless (but so darned cute) presents first world cat problems.

Be well until next Tipsday. I’m off to CanWrite! For the weekend and due to my volunteer obligations, I will not be blogging.

Have a great weekend, all!

thoughtythursday2016

Thoughty Thursday: Things that made me go hmmmm on the interwebz, May 28-June 3, 2017

/ Melanie Marttila

Just a little thoughty this week.

Canada is not 150 years old. Greg and Mitch (ASAP Thought and ASAP Science)

 

Ossie Michelin explains how to talk about Indigenous people. CBC

 

Dan Van Winkle: at Cannes, Jessica Chastain calls out the real problem with how women are portrayed in film. The Mary Sue

Neuroscience reveals four rituals that contribute to happiness. Eric Barker for Ladders.

Bec Crew reports that only half of your friends actually like you. Science Alert

Natalie Zarrelli reveals the knitting spies of WWII. Atlas Obscura

Phil Plait: we thought Jupiter was weird; now we’re finding out just how weird. Blastr

Later in the week, Phil reports how astronomers may have seen a star collapse directly into a black hole. And then, two merging black holes, 3 billion light years away send ripples of spacetime through Earth.

Veritasium covers the two black holes merging, too.

 

Anthony Brooks reports on Brisco the pit bull, who rescued his owner’s neighbors from a home invasion. Good dog! The Miami Gazette

I hope something in that lot got your mental corn popping 🙂

 

See you on the weekend.

Be well until then.

thoughtythursday2016

Thoughty Thursday: Things that made me go hmmmm on the interwebz, April 30-May 6, 2017

/ Melanie Marttila

A little silly, a little serious, and a whole lot of inspiration. Curated just for you!

Finland’s May Day frolic. This is Finland

Kristina Marusic: how it feels when you’re queer [as fuck] but your relationship looks “straight.” New Now Next

Sabrina Marandola reports on how parents and teachers launch a petition to change Quebec’s history curriculum. CBC

Pegi Eyers answers the question, what is cultural appropriation? (With tonnes of resources!) Ancient Spirit Rising

It’s okay to be smart: why are we the only humans left?

 

Jasmin Fox-Skelly warns that as global warming melts the ice, dormant and antibiotic-resistant bacteria are waking up. BBC

Erica Cirino: scientists discover that beeswax-eating worms are the secret to breaking down plastic. National Geographic

Hearst Digital Studios produces a powerful #survivorloveletter, from survivors, to survivors.

How general anxiety disorder is linked to emotional abuse. Daily Health Post

Kristin Wong examines how happy people complain. Science of Us

The surprising solution to the impostor syndrome. Lou Solomon—TEDxCharlotte

 

Jill Suttie says that taking a relaxing lunch break is good for you. Mindful

A BC professor’s sleep trick garners attention from Oprah, Forbes, and The Guardian. CBC

Alice Dreger: what if we admitted to children that sex is primarily about pleasure? Pacific Standard

The Oatmeal: you’re not going to believe what I’m about to tell you. About awesome brain science-y stuff and your power to put your amygdala in it’s place.

Rae Paoletta reports on the first sound from the creepy void inside Saturn’s rings. Gizmodo

Christianna Reedy: new evidence about a cold spot in space could support the case for a multiverse. Futurism

Just because it was May the 4th (be with you): was Star Wars really in a galaxy, far, far away? Phil Plait, Bad Astronomer, for Blastr.

Amanda Ruggeri introduces us to angel roofs: the medieval marvel few people know. BBC

Cover of Fleetwood Mac’s Rhiannon by Alice Kristiansen and Jessie Marie Villa

 

Stanley the singing Airedale talks to his mom on the phone.

 

And that’s how we pop your mental corn.

Just a wee reminder, I’ll be away this weekend, and so I’ll see you next Tipsday with a new batch of informal writerly learnings.

Be well until then, my writerly friends!

thoughtythursday2016

Thoughty Thursday: Things that made me go hmmmm on the interwebz, April 23-29, 2017

/ Melanie Marttila

Lots for the visual learner this week 🙂

I’ll just leave this here … Andrea Wallace shares her struggle with the failed Phoenix pay system. Medium

SciShow marches for science.

 

Deborah Tannen examines the (sometimes unintentional) subtext of digital conversations. The Atlantic

Why can’t you use your phone on a plane? SciShow

 

Rachel Ginder: introverts don’t hate people, they hate shallow socializing. Introvert, Dear

Veritasium looks at the sun sneeze gene (don’t know what that is? I didn’t either!)

 

Sandrine Ceurstremont reports that female dragonflies will fake sudden death to avoid unwanted male advances. This made me lolz. Way to go, ladies 😉 New Scientist

Dogs are doggos: an internet language built around love for the puppers. Jessica Boddy for NPR.

And speaking of dogs … kind of … this seal just wants a belly rub 🙂

 

Shel – Enter Sandman. Eerie and beautiful.

 

Now that your mental corn is popping (I hope) I shall leave you to your own devices until the weekend.

Be well until next I blog.

thoughtythursday2016

Thoughty Thursday: Things that made me go hmmmm on the interwebz, April 9-15, 2017

/ Melanie Marttila

Pop that mental corn! It’s good for you!

Petula Dvorak: Mary Magdelene has been reviled as a prostitute. That’s not how she was portrayed in the Bible. The Washington Post

Angela Gemmill reports on the latest developments on a new combined art gallery and library for Sudbury. CBC

Drew Hayden Taylor considers smudging to be spiritual, but not religious. The Globe and Mail

Caitlin Thompson reports on the Heiltsuk village that is three times older than the pyramids and what it means for indigenous oral history. Coast Mountain News

Michaeleen Doucleff explains how scientists cracked a 50 year old mystery about measles. NPR

Andrew North: how Mongolia is getting palliative care right. Quartz

Belinda Luscombe: Sheryl Sandberg’s new book, Option B, is a guide for finding life after the death of a loved one. Time

Robyn Reisch explains why intelligent people choose to be less social. Intelligence.com

Dan Dowling says, here’s why you can’t stay focused. Entrepreneur

Olga Khazan examines recent studies that may prove difficult childhoods can improve cognition. The Atlantic

Alice G. Walton lists seven habits that may actually improve brain function. Forbes

Yes, you can measure white privilege. Michael Harriot for The Root.

Stephen Hui: five reasons why we should stop calling white people “Caucasian.” The Georgia Straight

Hannah Devlin discovers why AI programs exhibit racial and gender biases. The Guardian

Natalie Wolchover covers the retiree who discovered an elusive mathematical proof. Wired

Rob Waugh: Hubble just spotted something massive coming out of Uranus. Yes, you may giggle. Metro

Phil Plait shares a video from the ESA’s Gaia project: how the sky may look in 5 million years. Blastr

Physicists say they’ve created a fluid with negative mass. Holy crap is right. Fiona MacDonald for Science  Alert.

It’s okay to be smart looks at the relationship between dogs and humans.

 

And minute earth cover the feline side of the tale. Tail?

 

See you on the weekend!

Be well, my lovelies 🙂

thoughtythursday2016

Thoughty Thursday: Things that made me go hmmmm on the interwebz, March 5-11, 2017

/ Melanie Marttila

Time to get that mental corn popping!

Some lovely pieces for #InternationalWomensDay

Today I rise. Films for Action

Jina Moore shares 16 stories that will expand your mind on IWD. Buzzfeed

Australian school boys share the stories of their female friends: why feminism is important to me.

 

Courtney Shea: why sports psychologist Dr. Peter Jensen works like he’s a smoker. The Globe and Mail

A Danish psychologist says “positive thinking” has turned happiness into a duty and a burden. Olivia Goldhill for Quartz.

Jen Schwartz says the secret to happiness is to simplify. Outside

The Usual Routine: why empaths act strange around inauthentic people.

Artists have structurally different brains. Melissa Hogenboom for the BBC.

Susan Storm profiles the INTJ personality. Psychology Junkie

Olivia Goldhill: Blaise Pascal understood that people are best convinced by their own data. Quartz

Rutger Bregman makes the case for universal basic income. The Guardian

The Medievalist think these ten Medieval women are worth knowing about.

Explore Canada’s great women on Canada’s History.

Paul Dalby writes about Maria Lindsay Cobham, Canada’s pirate queen. Canada’s History

Nanaboozhoo and the Wiindigo: An Ojibwe History from Colonization to the Present. Bezhigobinesikwe Elaine Fleming for Tribal College: Journal of American Indian Higher Education.

A rabbit hole in a farmer’s field leads to “mystery caves.” BBC

Farah Halime profiles the millennial who might be the new Einstein. Ozy

Katherine Hobson: what going to Mars will do to our minds. Five Thirty Eight

Mark Malloy reports on scientists who have discovered how to upload knowledge into your mind. The Telegraph

Ryan F. Mandelbaum reports on the observation of time crystals. Gizmodo

Dana Dovey: scientists identify the first sign of Alzheimer’s Disease. MSN

Patton Oswalt explains why pop culture gets grieving wrong. Ari Shapiro for NPR.

The second sight among Scots Irish. McCain’s Corner

George Dvorsky shares the first footage of one of the most reclusive whales in the world. Gizmodo

It’s been a long day, and you’ve earned this video of Sir Patrick Stewart greeting his new foster dog. William Hughes for the A.V. Club.

Hope you got your fill of thoughty.

Until next I blog, be well.

thoughtythursday2016

Thoughty Thursday: Things that made me go hmmmm on the interwebz, Feb 12-18, 2017

/ Melanie Marttila

Time to warm the ole brain pan. There’s mental corn that needs popping.

Arnie Seipel shares the dark origins of Valentine’s Day. NPR

Daniele Cybuskie relates three fairy tale romances in honour of Valentine’s Day. Medievalists.net

Henry Rollins: what side of history do you want to be on? LA Weekly

Mario Livio reports on the discovery of Winston Churchill’s lost essay on alien life. Nature

Tom Hale shares these stunning aquatic vistas by finalists of the underwater photograph of the year competition. IFLS

Cats sailed with the Vikings to conquer the world. Bec Crew for Science Alert.

Katy Evans reports on how dogs and monkeys judge you on how you treat others. IFLS

Do crows have funerals? You betcha. Ask a Mortician

 

Tom Hale encourages you to observe the evidence of evolution in your own body. IFLS

Lesley Alderman: the year of conquering negative thinking. The New York Times

Linda Rodriguez McRobbie reports on the people who never forget and what they’re teaching us about memory. The Guardian

Sarah Knapton: our seas have become a plastic graveyard, but can technology turn the tide? The Telegraph

Google’s “DeepMind” AI understands the benefits of betrayal. Robin Andrews for IFLS.

I admit it. I was #furiouslyhappy to find this list of more than 150 learning resources compiled by Janet Alexandersson for Medium.

Here’s hoping creative connections are being made.

See you on Saturday for more WorldCon 2016 reportage.

Stay strong, be kind, and be well!

thoughtythursday2016

Thoughty Thursday: Things that made me go hmmmm on the interwebz, Jan 29-Feb 4, 2017

/ Melanie Marttila

Just a little bit of thoughty this week.

Frank T. McAndrew, PhD explains why our grief over a dog is so intense. Psychology Today

Heather Plett: what it really means to hold space for someone. Uplift

Pallab Ghosh reports on the discovery of our oldest human ancestor (and, boy, is it a beauty). BBC

John Walsh examines how doctors measure pain (and whether it’s of any help to patients). The Guardian

John Broich revisits how journalists covered the rises of Mussolini and Hitler. The Smithsonian Magazine

An open letter from the Canadian tech community: diversity is our strength. BetaKit

Rachel Browne covers Prime Minister Trudeau’s fight against fake news. Vice

Toronto’s Sick Kids hospital will provide surgeries for patients affected by the U.S. travel ban. Maclean’s

Jenny Zhang shares an amateur’s guide to activism for frustrated Canadians. Medium

Johnny Silvercloud: why isn’t anyone talking about the radicalization of whites? AfroSapiophile

Rae Paoletta reports on NASA’s twin experiment. Gizmodo

John Newsom: science illiteracy in the U.S. is a serious threat according to Neil deGrasse Tyson. Greensboro

ASAP Thought: a brief history of the fear of immigrants.

 

Detroit’s muddy bottom conceals cars, cannons, and guns. Robert Allen for the Detroit Free Press.

Hope it was enough to get your mental corn popping, ‘cause you know I want to inspire you to create great things 🙂

See you on the weekend.

Be well until then.

thoughtythursday2016