inspiration

Thoughty Thursday: Things that made me go hmmmm on the interwebz, May 10-16, 2015

/ Melanie Marttila / 2 Comments

This week’s a little light on the thoughty, but I hope it will still inspire some writerly ideas.

Thoughts on the creative life and well-being. The Creativity Post.

The Conversation illuminates the connection between bullying and suicide.

Victoria Weldon of the Herald Scotland writes about stamping out sexism in movies and television.

Tess Holliday is the biggest thing to hit modelling. BuzzFeed.

Breathtaking photos from the 2015 National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest. Quartz.

This time-lapse video of a thunderstorm supercell is awesome. IFLS.

Scientists discover anti-matter storms on Earth. IFLS.

I shared this lovely video about our solar system being a vortex. Then, it was pointed out to me that it’s a crap theory. So disappointed.

Fearful memories haunt mouse descendants. Nature.

And now for a little fun from from Tumblr: Before and after pictures of pets with their favourite toys.

Come back on Saturday for more Ad Astra 2015 reportage.

Thoughty Thursday

Thoughty Thursday: Things that made me go hmmmm on the interwebz, May 3-9, 2015

/ Melanie Marttila / 2 Comments

I’ll start you off with a couple of northern pieces:

Disturbing local news: Body found in Junction Creek. Just to let you know, this kind of thing doesn’t happen up here in Sudbury a lot. The Northern Life.

The Rematriate campaign takes aim at cultural appropriation. The Northern Journal.

The May 4th full moon was in Scorpio. What this might mean (for those who entertain astrology): go big, or go home. Can I go big at home? Elephant Journal.

People who swear are happier, healthier, and, Distracify argues, hotter. Fuck that 😉

What’s a yoga body? These 21 images will help you redefine what that means. Lots of Yoga.

The science of red heads. IFLS.

Could we clone ourselves? It’s okay to be smart.

In this TED Talk, Tal Danino explains how he’s training bacteria to detect and fight cancer (awesome!).

If this Kickstarter is successful, we could all write like Albert Einstein 🙂

Astronomers reveal the most distant galaxy they’ve seen (so far). Wired.

Here’s how we’ll terraform Mars. Popular Mechanics.

Cancun’s underwater museum can only be visited with SCUBA gear. The Business Insider.

Stunning images of deep sea creatures captured off the coast of Puerto Rico. Epoch Inspired.

Kid President’s 20 things we should say more often. I love this kid 😀

Pure fun. Lindsey Stirling and Josh Groban sing “Pure Imagination” with . . . THE MUPPETS!

I’ll be back on Saturday with more Ad Astra 2015 reportage.

Thoughty Thursday

Thoughty Thursday: Things that made me go hmmmm on the interwebz, April 26-May 2, 2015

/ Melanie Marttila / 4 Comments

Finally! Pakistan jails 10 of Malala Yousafzai’s attackers. BBC News.

Jon Krakauer: If you’re not a feminist, then you’re a problem. Penguin Random House’s Medium.

Teachers in the secondary school board are striking right now. Here’s a couple of posts that deal with the issues they’d like to see addressed.

11 ways Finland’s education system shows us that less is more. Filling my Map.

Schools should teach kids to think, not memorize. The documentary Most Likely to Succeed. Gotta watch this. The Huffington Post.

Ok. So, Sudbury was nominated the happiest city in Canada. Here’s 17 things you should know about us 😉 Buzzfeed. (Yes, we made Buzzfeed!)

Studies link social anxiety to empathic ability, high IQ, and sentinel intelligence. Spirit Science and Metaphysics.

The secret weapon that prevents anxiety and depression? It’s not what you think. The Creativity Post.
“When we attempt to divorce ourselves from pain, we end up feeling nothing pleasurable or meaningful at all. When we better understand, tolerate, and harness distressing thoughts and feelings, and become aware of the situations when they are helpful, we become empowered. We gain vitality. We become whole.”

Depression can alter your DNA (!) IFLS.

Veritasium: just knowing about learned helplessness can help you free yourself from its clutches. (Plus a bonus Sudbury tie-in with a mention of the Neutrino Observatory 🙂 )

LifeHack lists 20 signs that you’re succeeding, even if you don’t feel like you are.

Scientists turn pancreatic cancer cells into normal cells. Now . . . how close are they to releasing this treatment? IFLS.

Why are some people left-handed? (I like to say that we’re the only people in our right minds – LOL). IFLS.

Audi makes diesel fuel from water and carbon dioxide. IFLS.

i09 presents seven lesser-known but fascinating Victorian inventors.

A man knocked down a wall in his basement and discovered a hidden underground city. SlipTalk.

Here are the winners of the 2014 Smithsonian photography contest. Amazing and beautiful photos. The Atlantic.

And that’s your thoughty for the week.

Be well.

Thoughty Thursday

Thoughty Thursday: Things that made me go hmmmm on the interwebz, April 19-25, 2015

/ Melanie Marttila

Not an overwhelming amount of thoughty this Thursday, but quality is the thing.

The tragic news of the week is the earthquake in Tibet. Zee News.

Before and after images of the devastation from Think Progress.

My thoughts and prayers, such as they are.

Last week I shared an article about how there are not enough psychiatrists and too many in need. This week: why Doctors don’t have clients . . . Psychiatric Times.

Your passion isn’t your bliss; nor is it your bitch. Justine Musk.

Sir Ken Robinson on how creative schools can transform education. CBS News.

Cancer research in Sudbury is making progress. Here’s the news article and the interview from Morning North. CBC.

Neil deGrasse Tyson’s ambition is to make science hip. LA Times.

Shedding light on dark matter and dark energy with Patricia Burchat. TED Talk.

Life in the deep ocean, a TED Talk by David Gallo.

North Brother Island: the last unknown place in New York city. Brainpickings.

More abandoned places. This time: Creepy brothels. Scribol.

When cancer in dogs isn’t just a matter of bad luck. Vet Street.

If I fits, I sits! Why cats (of all sizes) love boxes. IFLS.

Watch an octopus catch and eat a crab. Wicked! Geekologie.

Diving giraffes and bouncing elephants. Awesome animation on i09.

I’ll catch up with you next on Satuday. Break a pencil until then.

Thoughty Thursday

Thoughty Thursday: Things that made me go hmmmm on the interwebz, April 12-18, 2015

/ Melanie Marttila / 1 Comment

#BringBackOurGirls a year later. NBC News.

It hasn’t always been a man’s world. Amy Logan’s TED X talk from Sacramento:

The reason you’re not happy and how to fix it. The Next Web.

There are too few psychiatrists and too many patients. The Psychiatric Times.

Why you should spend your money on experiences rather than on things. Fast Company.

How to be emotionally intelligent. The New York Times.

Peak creative moments. 99u.

The greatest work of your life will require a compass, not a map. The Creativity Post.

Could oral contraceptives be changing your brain structure? IFLS.

BBC Two presents super powered owls.

Why we melt when we see puppy dog eyes. The LA Times.

Remembering the dogs of the Titanic. Dogington Post.

Neil deGrasse Tyson on Pluto, science groupies, and killing insects. Esquire.

Now we know why the earth hums. IFLS.

Fabulous picture of the Grand Canyon.

The eeriness of the English countryside. The Guardian.

Horrible crimes took place in this lovely house in New Orleans. i09 True Crime.

She sheds: the answer to the man cave. The lighter side of real estate.

These three young girls rock Metallica’s “Enter Sandman.” ReMezcla.

And I’ll leave you on that rockin’ note (LOLZ) until Saturday 🙂

Thoughty Thursday

Thoughty Thursday: Things that made me go hmmmm on the interwebz, March 22-28, 2015

/ Melanie Marttila

Finland scraps subjects in its curriculum. Curricula? The Independent.

Why creatives don’t succeed in traditional, 9 to 5 working environments. No surprise there 😉 The Elite Daily.

What is psychopathology? The Creativity Post.

Questions you should ask yourself before giving up. Eponis/Sinope.

Yin yoga is one of the disciplines I enjoy. Here is a yin yoga sequence from Elephant Journal.

Jupiter may have destroyed our solar system’s first planets. i09.

Here’s a giant planet with four suns in its sky. Space.com.

Neil deGrasse Tyson is interviewed by Charlie Rose on 60 Minutes.

Get more Neil deGrasse Tyson in this Business Insider post.

And even moar! NdGT on what we should explore next:

Mitchell Moffit and Greg Brown of ASAP Science interviewed on the CBC’s Q.

Is the info-pocalypse nigh? BBC.

Why is myopia reaching “epidemic” levels? Nature.

The Atlantic presents amazing pictures of the European supertide.

Why dog germs might be good for us. The Huffington Post.

This is freestyle dog dance:

You’re welcome.

This lynx likes hanging out at the Terrace Bay post office. CBC.

Raise your Thoughty quotient and get on with your week.

Tomorrow’s Good Friday. Have a peaceful, reflective holiday.

See you Saturday for my Next Chapter Update.

Thoughty Thursday

Thoughty Thursday: Things that made me go hmmmm on the interwebz, March 15-21, 2015

/ Melanie Marttila / 2 Comments

There’s a whole lot of thoughty going on!

What kind of geek is Delilah S. Dawson? The kind that has to defend herself far too often.

The part of bravery people struggle with most. Michael Hyatt.

Things that introverts would never tell you. Higher Perspective.

Gideon Lichfield of The Atlantic explores the science of near-death experiences (NDEs).

I’ve been curious about trying absinthe since I was that the liquor store was selling it. I checked it out this weekend, though and it’s a little expensive for my taste. Maybe for a special occasion. This article on The Daily Beast on the resurgence of absinthe piques my curiosity, though.

Four reasons you should invest in a standing desk. Michael Hyatt.

Six things you should know about how you learn. The Next Web.

Neil deGrasse Tyson’s new late night television show will premiere April 20! The Verge.

This new Tesla battery has the power to take you off the grid 🙂 Inhabitat.

Since I live in the city, I didn’t get to see these, but apparently it’s been a very good week for aurorae 🙂 CBC.

What colour is the universe? It’s okay to be smart.

 

What your genes can and cannot determine. The Guardian.

How did an Arabic inscribed ring end up in a 9th century Viking grave? i09.

Oppression by omission: The women soldiers of the Civil War. Brainpickings.

Jane Goodall is still wild at heart. The New York Times.

Horses never forget their human friends. NBC news.

Check out this video of killer whales feeding in the Dodd Narrows in BC. CBC.

Fawn rescue:

 

Cookie Monster, life coach:

 

Office cats from AFV:

 

ViralNova wants to fill your cute cup to overflowing with these adorable animals!

I hope you were inspired by some of this edumacation 😀 Edutainment?

See you Saturday!

Thoughty Thursday

Thoughty Thursday: Things that made me go hmmmm on the interwebz, March 1-7, 2015

/ Melanie Marttila / 5 Comments

How gardening, and specifically the microbes in soil, can make you happy. Gardening Know-How.

How healthy gut flora (bacteria) can also have an antidepressant effect. Scientific American.

Empathy might lead to social anxiety. Spirit Science and Metaphysics.

Adverse childhood experiences (ACE) affect your health. Includes an informative self-test. NPR.

More about your ACE score and a resilience quiz (as a bonus). ACES too high news.

And a supporting article from IFLS: childhood trauma affects the brain.

Surrender doesn’t mean defeat. OM Times shares the seven habits of surrendered people. It’s related to resilience.

How physicians and psychiatrists are medicating women rather than treating the underlying issues. Some of us don’t need prescriptions. Or we don’t need the prescriptions they think we do . . . The New York Times.

For the other side of the story, Emily Landau states that she has been helped immeasurably by prescription medications and that she doesn’t believe they’ve affected her adversely. CBC.

Eleven things introverts want you to know. Elephant Journal.

Last week, I shared the Desiderata text. For those of you who were curious, here’s the version set to music by Les Crane:

 

Stop procrastination by asking one question and considering the answer for three minutes. Inc.

Most consistently successful creative people say ‘NO.’ Business Insider.

The strange world of felt presences links Shackleton, sleep paralysis, and hearing voices. The Guardian.

Did the human alliance with dogs drive the Neanderthals to extinction? National Geographic.

New human fossil offers more detail for our family tree. National Geographic.

Here’s what scientists think methane-based life might look like (if they find it on Titan). From Quarks to Quasars.

Ancient Mars may have had an ocean. The New York Times.

Scientists have discovered another earth-like planet. Higher Perspective.

More on what’s coming up for Neil deGrasse Tyson. The Wall Street Journal.

Cats see things that are invisible to humans. Higher Perspective.

I’ve shared posts or videos about the rabbit island and the fox village in the past, now The Atlantic features some great pictures from a Japanese cat island.

I love crows and ravens and so this story about crows gifting the girl who’s fed them since she was four made me #furiouslyhappy.

This video shares an important message about equality and diversity.

 

It was a thoughty week!

Hope you find something to exercise your grey matter.

Until Saturday, be resilient 😉

Thoughty Thursday

Thoughty Thursday: Things that made me go hmmmm on the interwebz, Feb 15-21, 2015

/ Melanie Marttila / 1 Comment

Emojis for introverts, brought to you by The Huffington Post.

Why we’re part of a sexual spectrum, not a dichotomy. Nature.

Why even reasonable people still doubt science. National Geographic.

Pain really is all in your head. NPR.

More wonderful abandoned places from PBS Newshour.

And pictures of an abandoned Ontario house brought to you by HGTV.

Kids reacting to rotary phones:

 

Hilarious dog fetch fails:

 

Zoo babies from The Smithsonian Channel:

 

A Muppet classic for you:

 

Absolutely loving Florence + the Machine’s latest:

 

And that, she be it ’til Saturday.

Thoughty Thursday

Thoughty Thursday: Things that made me go hmmmm on the interwebz, Feb 8-14, 2015

/ Melanie Marttila / 3 Comments

Ten things that people who love their lives do differently. Higher Perspective.

Twenty beliefs happy people share. Lifehack. My favourite? #17: They comprehend that happiness isn’t everything.

How to live with mystery in a culture obsessed with certainty and definitive answers. Brainpickings.

RSA’s take on Susan Cain’s message on the power of introverts, plus a link to Susan’s TED Talk. Brainpickings.

The neuropsychiatric dimensions of movement disorders in sleep. Psychiatric Times.

The moon as you have never seen it before. NPR.

Veritasium interviews Commander Hadfield.

 

I love Vsauce rambles. It reminds me of being in university, when ideas ping-ponged off one another in my skull and inspired me:

 

What one artist is doing to educate us about everyday harassment (you know, cat-calls and wolf whistles?). UpWorthy.

Lauren Davis presents ten real-life female spies who deserve their own movies. Why not a novel? Giving you ideas with what Thoughty Thursday is all about! i09.

More training isn’t always the answer. Harold Jarche.

These kitsune (foxes) are so kawaii (cute) it’s kawai (scary). Foxes roam freely in the sanctuary of Zao Fox Village. My Modern Met.

Sister Rosetta Tharpe rocks Brainpickings 🙂

Sergei Polunen’s gorgeous interpretation of Hozier’s “Take me to church.” The Huffington Post.

See you again on the weekend!

Thoughty Thursday