evolution

Thoughty Thursday: Popping your mental corn, Jan 1-7, 2023

/ Melanie Marttila

It’s that time of the week again. Get your mental corn popping!

Edward González-Tennant remembers the Rosewood Massacre. JSTOR Daily

The 1918 pandemic never ended. SciShow

Killing cancer with cancer. The Harvard Gazette

Anne Trafton reveals that self-assembling proteins can store cellular “memories.” MIT News

Danielle Han considers aspymmetrical powers: economic and cyber espionage. JSTOR Daily

Robert Lea reports that a feeding black hole blows cosmic bubbles during high-energy burp. Space.com

Large volcanic outburst discovered on Jupiter’s moon, Io. Phys.org

Emma Thomson: these mighty pyramids were built by one of Africa’s earliest civilizations. National Geographic

Bizarre Cretaceous bird from China shows evolutionarily decoupled skull and body. Chinese Academy of Sciences

Lauren Biron reports that Berkeley Lab scientists develop a cool new method of refrigeration. Berkeley Lab

Lina Zeldovich: waste not, want not. JSTOR Daily

Oliver Milman reports that the US government approves use of world’s first vaccine for honeybees. The Guardian

Nikki Kolb shares her experience living with wolves. Catapult

Ian Sample says the tail does not wag the dog when it comes to agility. The Guardian

Thanks 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, Oct 2-8, 2022

/ Melanie Marttila

It’s thoughty Thursday, and you know what that means: tomorrow’s Friday! Celebrate by getting your mental corn popping in time for the weekend 🙂

Sean Lahman and Kayla Canne report that Rochester to pay $12M to settle lawsuit filed by Daniel Prude family, largest civil rights settlement in city’s history. Democrat & Chronicle

Livia Gershon considers women leaders in Africa: the case of the Igbo. JSTOR Daily

Errin Haines: it’s almost 100 days since Dobbs. What has changed? 19th News

Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha says able-bodied leftists cannot abandon disabled solidarity to “move on” from covid. Truthout

Hugo Bachega and James Fitzgerald: Russian troops forced out of Lyman in eastern Ukraine. BBC

Nine NATO members urge support for Ukraine after annexation. Associated Press

Hyung-Jin Kim, Kim Tong-Hyung and Mari Yamaguchi report that North Korea sends missiles soaring over Japan in escalation. Associated Press

Study is first to show role of genomic changes in specific brain cells in Alzheimer’s disease. University of Exeter

Mechanism used by metastatic cancer to infiltrate liver found. Osaka Metropolitan University

New route to evolution: how DNA from our mitochondria gets into our genome. University of Cambridge

Anne Cleary: what is déjà vu? Psychologists are exploring the creepy feeling of having lived through an experience before. The Conversation

Nostalgia, the gift that keeps getting rebooted. Khadija Mbowe

Clark Quinn: myth persistence (in learning design). Learnlets

Renee Dudley and Daniel Golden introduce us to the self-taught tech geniuses fighting cybercrime: ransomware hunters. The Guardian

Michael Sheetz reports that SpaceX launches Crew-5 mission for NASA, carrying astronauts to space station. CNBC

How to Build for Human Life on Mars | Melodie Yashar | TED

Ronan O’Connell takes us inside the Irish “hell caves” where Hallowe’en was born. National Geographic

Pacific Ocean set to make way for world’s next supercontinent … in 200 to 300 million years from now. Phys.org

Your city is full of fake buildings. Here’s why. Answer in Progress

Mélissa Godin introduces us to the women fighting fire with fire. Atmos

Aysha Khan says that plants by school playgrounds protect kids from road pollution. Next City

Scientists crack upcycling plastics to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, advancing a recent study. University of Illinois

Damian Carrington: wax worm saliva rapidly breaks down plastics. The Guardian

Eleanor Cummins takes us inside one of the world’s first human composting facilities. The Verge

Livia Gershon offers a natural history of dragons. JSTOR Daily

Talia Ogliore: study reports first evidence of social relationships between chimpanzees and gorillas. Washington University in St. Louis

Haley Weiss: dark extinction has scientists worried. Here’s what they’re doing about it. CNET

Nancy Darling explains why your dog likes to flirt with other people. Psychology Today

Thank you for visiting. 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, May 15-21, 2022

/ Melanie Marttila

It’s the last thoughty Thursday of May, and your opportunity to get your mental corn popping.

Amy Forliti, Steve Karnowski, and Mohamed Ibrahim: ex-Minneapolis officer pleads guilty in George Floyd murder. Associated Press

Liz Tracey presents the Chinese Exclusion Act, annotated. JSTOR Daily

Kashmala Fida Mohatarem reports that Demi Potts soars in winning performance at one of world’s biggest powwows. CBC

Siege of Mariupol over as Russia says Ukraine’s holdout forces from the steelworks have “surrendered.” CBS News

Claire Lampen wonders which women do we choose to believe? New York Magazine

Yara Simón provides the introvert’s guide to running a business. Refinery 29

Clark Quinn explains the cognitive basis of learner experience design (LXD). Learnlets

Harold Jarche: management must move first.

Olivia Allen explains why she’s embracing her “no thoughts” era. Refinery 29

Annabel Gat and Random Rosenbohm: your life sucks, but not because of Mercury retrograde. Vice

Chelsea Papineau features stunning moon images taken in northern Ontario during the full lunar eclipse. CTV News

Rina Torchinsky reports that scientists successfully grow plants in soil from the moon. NPR

Isaac Schultz invites us to see this year’s best photos of the Milky Way. Gizmodo

Humans are still evolving. Be Smart

Bob Macdonald says seagrass is hiding a sweet, submerged, CO2 secret. CBC’s “Quirks and Quarks”

Serhii Plokhy explains why the future of power can’t be nuclear: poisoned legacy. The Guardian

Rachel Fobar: hundreds of beagles died at this breeding centre—but the US government hasn’t acted. National Geographic

Livia Gershon says dogs are the four-legged crime-fighters of Paris. JSTOR Daily

Helen Ray: pugs can’t be considered “typical dogs” because of dire health issues, study finds. CBS News

Thanks for stopping by. 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!

Thoughty Thursday: Things that made me go hmmmm on the interwebz, July 11-17, 2021

/ Melanie Marttila

It’s time to get your mental corn popping! Let’s get right to it …

Ohimai Amaize unpacks the “social distance” between Africa and African Americans. JSTOR Daily

Charlottesville removes Robert E. Lee statue that sparked deadly rally. NPR

Thema Bryant-Davis and Egypt Leithman (of Pepperdine University) want to heal the wounds of racial trauma. Division 45

Allison Hopper: denial of evolution is a form of white supremacy. Scientific American

Louisiana teen, Zaila Avant-garde correctly spells “muraya” to win Scripp’s National Spelling Bee. ESPN

Zoé Samudzi is looking after (museums and human remains). Art Forum

Huu-ay-aht First Nation begin process of reclaiming cultural artefacts from Royal BC Museum. CBC

Coaches argue Laurentian’s pool must remain open: community impact will be “immense.” Sudbury.com

Could solar panels in space solve our energy needs? SciShow Space

Susan Montoya Bryan and Marcia Dunn report that billionaire Richard Branson reaches space in his own ship. Maybe reaches for space? Associated Press

Do we have more than five senses? Spoiler: hella yeah. SciShow Psych

Lauran Neergaard: device taps brainwaves to help paralyzed man communicate. Associated Press

Barrie, Ontario, devastated by tornado that left 5-kilometre path of destruction. CBC

Rescuers rush to save hundreds trapped by flooding in Europe as death toll tops 125. CBC

True facts: wild pigs (and their crazy cousins). ‘Cause fun and educational 🙂 Ze Frank

John Flesher reports that pup births a hopeful sign for Ilse Royale wolves. Associated Press

Thanks for taking the time to visit, 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!

Thoughty Thursday: Things that made me go hmmmm on the interwebz, March 14-20, 2021

/ Melanie Marttila

Happy Friday eve! It’s time to get your mental corn popping for the weekend.

Chloee Weiner: hundreds gather to demand justice for Breonna Taylor 1 year after her death. NPR

Tanisha C. Ford reveals how socialite Mollie Moon used fashion shows to fund the civil rights movement. Harper’s Bazaar

Meghan and Harry. Kadija Mbowe (your fun, millennial auntie)

Rhiannon Johnson announces that the Poundmaker Cree Nation welcomes bison back to traditional territory. CBC

“Unspeakable tragedy”: local leaders, Asian-American groups react to deadly shooting. WSB-TV 2 Atlanta

UK police under fire after crackdown on vigil for Sarah Everard. Bangkok Post

My amazing friend, Kim Fahner offers a message for those of us who are women who walk: in memory of Sarah Everard. The Republic of Poetry

Jaclyn Diaz reports that thousands march in Australia as another #metoo wave hits the country. NPR

Lakin Brooks: women dominated beer brewing until they were accused of being witches. The Smithsonian Magazine

Stephen Humphries: what does resilience sound like? Ian Brennan and Marilena Umuhoza Delli travel the world to find out. Christian Science Monitor

The National World War II Museum reveals Bea Arthur, US marine.

Shaina Ahluwalia and Roshan Abraham report that Europe becomes the first region to exceed 1 million deaths from covid-19. Global News

Katy Steinmetz: Elliot Page is ready for this moment. Time

Japan court finds same-sex marriage ban unconstitutional. BBC

Amy McKeever explains what the faces on its currency tell us about a country. National Geographic

Jillian Ambrose: bladeless turbines could bring wind power to your home. The Guardian

SNOLAB launches art and dark matter online platform, Drift. The Sudbury Star

The first science result from Perseverance on Mars! Night Sky News March 2021 | Dr. Becky

Robin George Andrews reveals the fresh clues of a new theory about where Mars’ liquid water went. National Geographic

What’s impossible in evolution? It’s okay to be smart

Philip Hoare: sperm whales in the 19th century shared ship attack information. The Guardian

Thanks for stopping by. I hope you took away something to inspire you 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, Jan 6-12, 2019

/ Melanie Marttila / 1 Comment

YouTube has invaded thoughty Thursday, this week, but it should get your mental corn popping, anyway 🙂

Erin Winick: get ready for these rocket milestones in 2019. MIT Technology Review

SciShow Space wonders if there are planets even more habitable than Earth out there. (Spoilers: the answer is yes!)

 

Veritasium looks at how we determine the spin of a black hole and why it’s important.

 

Ephrat Livni looks at how physics explains why time passes faster as you age. Quartz

Signs of high-functioning depression that you shouldn’t ignore. BetterHelp

 

Ferris Jabr: how beauty is making scientists rethink evolution. The New York Times

Solving the mystery of the Great Unconformity. SciShow

 

What women with autism want you to know. Iris

 

Thanks for stopping by!

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

thoughtythursday2016

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

/ Melanie Marttila

I hope something in this grab bag gets your mental corn popping! On with the thoughty!

Heather MacDougall explores the pagan roots of Easter. The Guardian

Zdravko Cvijetic lists thirteen things you need to give up if you want to be successful. Medium

George Monbiot: neolibralism encourages loneliness and that’s wrenching society apart. [Mel’s note: this introvert says being alone is not necessarily lonely. Keep the distinction in mind as you read.] The Guardian

For balance: Michael Harris promotes the benefits of solitude. The Walrus

Alice Klein reports that creative people see and process the world differently. New Scientist

Tracy Moore says, we have to talk about women who regret having children. Jezebel

Kat Chow: the “model minority” myth is again used to drive a wedge between Asians and blacks. NPR

Itai Palti thinks that the next industrial revolution will be driven by human creativity, not machines. We can always hope. Quartz

D.T. Max reviews how humans have shaped our evolution. National Geographic

Why are you so tired? ASAP Science

 

Following up on last week’s postmodernist post, have a look at an animated introduction to Roland Barthes’ Mythologies. Learn how to deconstruct popular culture. Open Culture

Carol Off interviews biologist David George Haskell about the songs of the trees. CBC

April 22 was Earth Day, so here are some topical posts:

See you on the weekend. Be well until then.

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, 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, Oct 25-31, 2015

/ Melanie Marttila / 2 Comments

Another short one this week. Hey, I went to a con. What can you do? Just a warning, November curations might tend to the small. NaNoWriMo takes precedence.

Anna Lovind wonders, what you would do if time wasn’t scarce?

Susan Lynn Reynolds shares the touching final days of her friend’s life. Janet dies at home. Conversations on dying. Phil Dwyer.

Guys, this is what it’s like to be a woman. Thought Catalog.

Buzzfeed presents 12 historical women who gave no fucks.

Why self-driving cars must be programmed to kill. MIT Technology Review.

What do you call the night before Hallowe’en? Lexicon Valley.

Mental Floss presents 10 graveside traditions at famous tombs.

Thought Catalog shares 10 delicious 14th century meals we should all try.

An ultra-successful mix of dog, wolf, and coyote, this new species is evolving right before our eyes. Now, technically, if the animals can procreate, they are part of the same species. So there may be a little issue with the terminology here. Raw Story.

Catch you next week.

Thoughty Thursday