Thoughty Thursday: Popping your mental corn, Sept 18-24, 2022

September 29, 2022September 25, 2022 / Melanie Marttila

As we say farewell to September, fortify yourself for the last quarter of the year by getting your mental corn popping 🙂

Janelle Griffith: ex-Minneapolis police office sentenced to three years in George Floyd’s murder. NBC News

Erin Doherty: Cambridge joins elite universities grappling with ties to slavery. Axios

Erin Doherty reports that another nuclear power plant is at risk from Russian missiles. Axios

Karl Ritter: Putin issues partial military call-up, risking protests. Associated Press

Kim Fahner says Laurentian must rebuild, appeal to a variety of students. The Sudbury Star

The sharp axe method. Struthless

Theresa Massony says six planets are retrograde right now, which explains everything. Pop Sugar

Lori Cuthbert explains why the autumn equinox ushers in fall. National Geographic

Emily Zarevich introduces us to the lady who might have been Queen of England. JSTOR Daily

Rachel E. Gross: “feminist science” is not an oxymoron. Slate

Marshall Sheppard shares lessons from a mermaid about representation in science and engineering. Forbes

Mitochondia are the powerhouses of … Alzheimer’s? SciShow

Leila Gray take us beyond AlphaFold: AI excels at creating new proteins. University of Washington (UW) Medicine

Moss repair team also works in humans. Potential progress for the treatment of hereditary diseases. University of Bonn

Nina Bai announces that Emmanuel Mignot wins Breakthrough Prize for discovering the cause of narcolepsy. Stanford Medicine

New and ancient lessons from lunar eclipses. SciShow Space

NASA’s InSight “hears” its first meteoroid impacts on Mars. NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory

Robert Lea: JWST’s first images of Mars reveal atmospheric secrets. Space.com

Laura Betz, Hannah Braun, and Christine Pulliam: new Webb image captures the clearest view of Neptune’s rings in decades. NASA

Grace Ebert: a rare glimpse of Comet Leonard’s last moments wins Astronomy Photographer of the Year contest. And the runners up aren’t bad, either. This is Colossal

Why it took 200,000 years to invent the wheel. Answer in Progress

Jesus Diaz says this new wind turbine concept isn’t like any we’ve seen before. Fast Company

Check out Audubon’s new Bird Migration Explorer! I could get lost in this for HOURS.

Rivka Galchen: peak cuteness and other revelations from the science of puppies. The New Yorker

Thanks for visiting! I hope you took away something to inspire a future creative project.

I should be posting my next chapter update for September this weekend.

Until then, keep staying safe and well!

Thoughty Thursday: Popping your mental corn, Aug 28-Sept 3, 2022

September 8, 2022September 4, 2022 / Melanie Marttila

We’re rounding the bend and almost to the weekend. Pour on that last bit of speed by getting your mental corn popping!

No charges in police killing of Rayshard Brooks. BBC

How did Al Sharpton become a joke? Princess Weekes

Yessica Fisch reports that Russia, Ukraine trade claims of nuclear plant attacks. Associated Press

Dave Lawler: Ukraine launches counteroffensive to retake Russian-occupied Kherson. Axios

Jamey Keaten and Edith M. Lederer announce that the UN cites possible crimes against humanity in China’s Xinjiang. Associated Press

Jessica Stillman explains how to spot an emotional vampire and a 5-step process to defeat one, when you do. Inc.

Dr. Patricia Lockwood: scientists pinpoint the brain area responsible for effortful helping behaviour (AKA altruism). The University of Birmingham

Bill Hathaway wonders what makes the human brain different? Yale neuroscientists reveal clues. Yale News

Stefan Van der Stigchel reveals what the science says about daydreaming and concentration. The MIT Press Reader

Guy Kawasaki interviews Fran Houser about how to kindly, gently, and powerfully embrace your work. The Remarkable People Podcast

Laura Ungar: zombie cells central to quest for active, vital old age. Associated Press

The world’s highest jumping robot. Veritasium

Tariq Malik reports that NASA calls off Artemis I moon rocket launch over engine cooling issue. Space.com

Webb inspects the heart of the phantom galaxy. The European Space Agency

Hannah Devlin reveals historic JWST images showing exoplanet in unprecedented detail. The Guardian

S.N. Johnson-Roehr: Caroline Herschel claims her comet. JSTOR Daily

The ominous reason Phobos has lines on it. SciShow Space

Mount Sinai Hospital researchers find spaceflight may be associated with DNA mutations, increased risk of heart disease, and cancer. Phys.org

Dinah Voyles Pulver: melting Greenland ice sheet will raise sea levels nearly a foot, study finds. USA Today

Leo Sands reports on the Pakistan floods: one third of the country is under water, minister says. BBC News

Abir Ahmar: parched UAE turns to science to squeeze more rainfall from clouds. Reuters

Sarah Keartes explains how giant isopods got supersized. Hakai Magazine

Thank you 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: Popping your mental corn, July 17-23, 2022

July 28, 2022July 24, 2022 / Melanie Marttila

It’s been hot and humid for the past couple of weeks. Nothing to compare with what some areas have experienced, but climate change is having its effect even up here in northeastern Ontario.

Grab a cooling beverage, put your feet up, and get your mental corn popping.

Steve Karnowski: ex-cop gets 2 ½ years for violating George Floyd’s rights. Associated Press

Katie Fustich says that Handmaid’s Tale imagery hurts the abortion fight. Teen Vogue

Ukraine and Russia: what you need to know right now. Reuters

Khadija Mbowe tackles the topic of men in pearls. You can always change your mind

Erica Alini explains why Canadians with long covid struggle to access financial aid. The Globe and Mail

Laurentian files plan of arrangement; announces Haché’s retirement. One thing the article doesn’t mention, that subsequently emerged on the news, is that they’re liquidating grant, scholarship, and research funding. I’m thinking some people aren’t going to stand for that. Sudbury.com

Gloria Liu: in praise of pointless goals. The Atlantic

Maggie Zhou explains why anti-goals might be the best approach to future planning. Refinery 29

Stephanie Vozza defines the four boundaries your brain needs to feel less overwhelmed. Fast Company

Guy Kawasaki interviews Pamela Hawley about how to foster volunteerism and social activism. The Remarkable People Podcast

Clark Quinn considers templates as content extensions. Learnlets

Pema Bakshi explains the 14 types of romantic crushes. Refinery 29

The JWST pictures you probably haven’t seen yet. SciShow

Will Dunham: scientists find a black hole deemed a “needle in a haystack.” Reuters

Why no one can agree on what’s really the tallest mountain. Be Smart

Ian Rose: every good bird does fine. JSTOR Daily

Carolyn Kormann is saving the butterfly forest. The New Yorker

Thank you for stopping by. I hope you found something to inspire a future creative project.

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

Thoughty Thursday: Popping your mental corn, July 10-16, 2022

July 21, 2022July 17, 2022 / Melanie Marttila

How has your week been, my writerly friends? Good news: it’s thoughty Thursday and that means tomorrow is Friday 🙂 It’s time to get your mental corn popping in time for the weekend.

Where did the blind and Black musician trope come from? Historian’s Take | PBS Origins

Tamara Dean reveals the truth about the history of abortion in America. The Guardian

Matthew Wills relates the history of policing abortion. JSTOR Daily

Pro-life vs. pro-choice: Roe vs. Wade overturned. Uncomfortable Conversations with Emmanuel Acho

Mary Yamaguchi reports that Japan’s ruling party wins big in polls in wake of Abe’s death. Associated Press

Hannah Ellis-Petersen: Sri Lankans revel in overrun presidential palace. The Guardian

Len Gillis interviews Kim Fahner about her experience with long covid. Sudbury.com

Nihilism, absurdity, and hope … online and off. Khadija Mbowe

Savanah Walsh: Constance Wu says she attempted suicide after Fresh Off the Boat tweets stoked ire. Vanity Fair

Monica Torres lists five work personality traits that are actually forms of anxiety. The Huffington Post

Clark Quinn: emotion, motivation, or … Learnlets

Harold Jarche considers intentionality in personal knowledge management (PKM).

Melissa Angell: a good night’s sleep is vital for heart health. Inc.

The Webb’s forst four (actually seven) images explained. SciShow Space

The first images of the hidden universe from the James Webb Space Telescope. NASA

Marie-Louise Gumuchian reports that primatologist Jane Goodall gets a Barbie. Reuters

Catherine Bush wants us to become Earth’s aunties. “What if … we cared for the world’s future inhabitants like aunts? As if the people-to-be and the more-than-human are not ours — because they are not.” Noema

Thanks for stopping by, and 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, March 13-19, 2022

March 24, 2022March 20, 2022 / Melanie Marttila

Happy Friday eve! Prep for the weekend by getting your mental corn popping.

Da’Shaun Harrison, Joy James, and Samira Rice wonder why the Department of Justice won’t recognize the vulnerability of Black lives. Scalawag

Hanaa’ Tameez: American journalism’s “racial reckoning” still has a lot of reckoning to do. Nieman Lab

Clout: the new fragrance from late-stage capitalism. Khadija Mbowe

Krishna N. Das: India court upholds hijab ban in schools, could set national precedent. Reuters

Hazel Shearing and Mary O’Connor announce that Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe and Anoosheh Ashoori on way home to UK. BBC

Rescuers search for survivors from Mariupol theatre hit by Russian bomb. CBC

Ryan Faughnder reports that Disney LGBTQIA+ employees plan walk-out over Florida “don’t say gay” bill. Los Angeles Times

Julia Métreaux presents the working-class roots of Canadian feminism. JSTOR Daily

Clark Quinn has some further thoughts on working with subject matter experts (SMEs). Learnlets

Long covid and post-infection syndromes: what we know so far. SciShow

David Shepardson reports that US senate approves bill to make daylight savings time permanent. Provincial and federal governments in Canada have long said that they’d only adopt or revoke DST permanently if the US did. This makes me excited for a future with out intentionally inflicted time-lag. Reuters

Scientists giddy as NASA releases image of distant star, galaxies from James Webb Space Telescope. CBC

Liz Tracey: beware the Ides of March. (But why?) JSTOR Daily

Emma Yasinski reveals how a game-changing transplant could treat dying organs. National Geographic

Alys Fowler explains how she learned to love weeds and why we should, too. The Guardian

Mena Davidson wonders why there aren’t more dogs in doctors’ offices. JSTOR Daily

Dala – Carrickfergus

Thank you for taking the time to visit. 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, Feb 13-19, 2022

February 24, 2022February 20, 2022 / Melanie Marttila

It’s time to get your mental corn popping for the last time in February.

Cornelius Fortune introduces the independent voices of the Black American press. JSTOR Daily

Ashawnta Jackson is remembering Emmett Till in song. JSTOR Daily

Police Brutality isn’t new. Every How Did We Get Here (part 2). The Amber Ruffin Show

Frankie Graziano and Laura Wamsley: families of San d y Hook victims reach $73 million settlement with Remington. NPR

Catharine Tunney reports that the federal government invokes emergencies act for the first time in response to protests. CBC

Andrew Duffy provides a timeline of the occupation of Ottawa. The Ottawa Citizen

Michael Woods and Ted Raymond cover the Ottawa occupation: police hand out leaflets warning downtown protesters to leave. CTV News

Standoff between protestors and massive police operation stretches into night. CBC

Tara Henley says, “Get insanely curious when no one else is curious.” A conversation with Amanda Ripley about the Ottawa occupation and high conflict.

Harold Jarche outlines our new normal in perpetual beta.

Devin Dwyer and Sarah Herndon: “Broken Heart” cases surge during covid, especially among women. ABC News

Benjamin Ryan shares that scientists have possibly cured a woman of HIV for the first time. While the treatment is specific to a subset of patients who have Leukemia in addition to HIV, it could direct new research. NBC News

Carmen Leitch: human neurons found to be surprisingly different from other mammals. Lab Roots

Paul Withers reveals that Facebook to begin laying cable (for Metaverse) through fishing grounds off Nova Scotia. CBC

Move over, JWST! Five new telescopes to get excited about. Dr. Becky

Bob McDonald: astronomers are fighting back against satellite constellations. CBC’s Quirks and Quarks

Victor Tangermann reports that scientists propose permanent human habitat built orbiting Ceres. It’s like something straight out of The Expanse. Futurism

Are we finally on the road to fusion power? SciShow

Structured thermal armor achieves liquid cooling above 1000 degrees Celsius and solves challenge presented by the Leidenfrost effect. It should work for both aero and space engines as well as nuclear reactors. Phys.org

Simon Akam reveals a new story for Stonehenge. The New Yorker

Iceland to end whaling in 2024 as demand dwindles. The Guardian

Thanks for spending some time with me. 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: Popping your mental corn, Feb 6-12, 2022

February 17, 2022February 13, 2022 / Melanie Marttila

Happy Friday eve! Get your mental corn popping in time for the weekend.

Sarah Burnett reports that Amir Locke, shot by Minneapolis cop, wanted music career. Associated Press

Derecka Purnell interviews Sybrina Fulton about her son, Trayvon Martin: grief over time. The Cut

Systemic racism? No thanks. How did we get here (part 1) | The Amber Ruffin Show

Livia Gershon considers music and spirit in the African diaspora. JSTOR Daily

Matthew Wills: Buffalo Soldiers and the bicycle corps. JSTOR Daily

Diana Opong Kuow reports that, for the first time in generations, Snoqualmie tribe has land. Indian Country Today

Natasha Lennard: anti-trans bills are moving through US state legislatures at alarming speed. The Intercept

Sam Knight examines the misogyny that led to the fall of London’s police commissioner, Cressida Dick. The New Yorker

Sudbury councillors push to establish living wage for city employees. CBC

John Michael McGrath: the loudmouths are losing. When this is all over, remember the helpers. TVO.org

Sharon Pruitt-Young reports that a new program in Canada gives doctors the option of prescribing national park visits. NPR

Anne Trafton: MIT engineers create the impossible—new material that’s strong as steel but lighter than plastic. Remember Star Trek IV? SciTech Daily

Tasnim Ahmed reports that new spinal cord stimulation study puts people with paralysis on their feet again. CNN

NASA fears SpaceX plan for 30,000 satellites could hamper space missions. The Guardian

We’ve never seen this before – JWST. Physics Girl

Ian Semple: nuclear fusion heat record a huge step in quest for new energy source. The Guardian

Tracey Anne Duncan reveals that scientists are trying to figure out how to make your dog live longer. MIC

Hannah Ryan presents the wildlife photo of the year, as chosen by the public. CNN

Thanks for stopping by. 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, Jan 23-29, 2022

February 3, 2022January 30, 2022 / Melanie Marttila

It’s a real mixed bag of thoughty this week. Dig in and get your mental corn popping 🙂

Daniel Martinez HoSang , LeeAnn Hall , and Libero Della Piana: to tackle racial justice, organizing must change. The Forge

Susanna Ashton shares John B. Cade’s project to document the formerly enslaved. JSTOR Daily

Kelly Hayes interviews Bree Newsome Bass: “Capitalism has to collapse.” Truthout

Muriel Draaisma reports that Pickering’s Sir John A. Macdonald Public School to be renamed Biidassige Mandamin Public School. CBC

Bobby Hristova reveals that Burlington park is renamed Sweetgrass Park, no longer honouring residential school architect. CBC

Kirsten Grieshaber: 77 years after Auschwitz, Jews honor those who rescued them. Associated Press

Joe got omicron. Here’s what he learned. Be Smart

Evan Dyer reports that public outrage over the unvaccinated is driving a crisis in bioethics. CBC

Claire L. Evans is searching for Suzy Thunder. The Verge

Bob McDonald: researchers call for a new awareness of scientific colonialism. CBC’s “Quirks and Quarks”

Daniel Garisto: Euler’s 243-year-old “impossible” puzzle gets a quantum solution. Quanta Magazine

Amanda Morris reports that nearly 1,000 mysterious strands revealed in Milky Way’s center. Phys.org

Christy Somos: astronomers find mysterious object in space “unlike anything” seen before. CTV News

Ben Turner reveals that an “X particle” from the dawn of time discovered in the Large Hadron Collider. Space.com

Rahul Rao: curvature of space-time measured using “atomic fountain.” Space.com

Ashley Strickland reports that the JWST reaches its final destination a million miles from Earth. CNN

What’s next for the James Webb Space Telescope. SciShow Space

Rebecca Ruiz: politics is a huge stressor for some your people. That’s a huge problem. Mashable

Earliest human remains in eastern Africa dated to 230,000 years ago. Phys.org

Yessenia Funes examines the dark side of paper. Atmos

Sierra Garcia considers Bangalore’s green belt 50 years on. JSTOR Daily

Sophie Yeo reveals how Finland is restoring its river ecosystems: “We’re basically starting from zero.” The Guardian

Thank you for visiting, and 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, Jan 16-22, 2022

January 27, 2022January 23, 2022 / Melanie Marttila

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

Janelle Salanga: realizing inequality in news goes a lot deeper than diversity numbers. Neiman Lab

Alexandra Martinez reports that Indigenous advocates in Florida say oil drilling at Big Cypress will destroy sacred sites. Prism

Duane Brayboy: two spirits, one heart, five genders. From the archives of Indian Country Today.

Özten Shebahkeget: exhibition of Buffy Saint-Marie’s digital art in Winnipeg reveals different side of iconic musician. CBC

Kalle Benallie announces that Dr. Chavez Lamar will be the first Native woman to lead Smithsonian American Indian museum. Indian Country Today

Iqaluit woman teaches Inuktitut online. CBC

The UN defines holocaust denial in new resolution. BBC

Lexi McMenamin: students walk out over covid in New York, Michigan, California, and Massachusetts. Teen Vogue

What omicron means for the future of the pandemic. SciShow

Monica Kidd reports that public health doctors have never been needed more—but the strain and burdens have never been clearer. The Toronto Star

Anna Turns explains how to clear dangerous pollutants out of your home. The Guardian

Kimi Waite says that Asian American studies is crucial for achieving climate solutions. Ms. Magazine

Why it took so long to launch the James Webb Space Telescope. SciShow Space

Olivia Box figures out what’s in an ice core? JSTOR Daily

Phoebe Weston says that if you love meat too much for veganuary, try regenuary. [To clarify, veganuary is going vegan for the month of January. Regenuary is opting into meat produced through regenerative farming for the first month of the year.] The Guardian

Discover khipu, the ancient Incan record and writing system made entirely of knots. Open Culture

Sarah Cascone: archaeologists have unearthed a 4,000-year-old board game. Now they just have to figure out the rules. Artnet News

Ashawnta Jackson considers creating the musical canon. JSTOR Daily

Ena Alvarado introduces us to Julian of Norwich, Anchoress and mystic. JSTOR Daily

Philip Hoare: seeing 1,000 glorious fin whales back from the brink of extinction is a rare glimmer of hope. The Guardian

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!