Thoughty Thursday: Popping your mental corn, Oct 2-8, 2022

October 13, 2022October 9, 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? 19^th 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, Sept 25-Oct 1, 2022

October 6, 2022October 2, 2022 / Melanie Marttila

We’re rounding the bend to the weekend. Fortify yourself by getting your mental corn popping.

Amanda Connolly reports that Black public servants face trauma amid class action. Global News

Kimmy Yam and Shakshi Venkatraman reveal that Adnan Syed faced racial stereotypes in court that weren’t scrutinized. NBC News

Torture and ill-treatment of Haitian asylum-seekers rooted in anti-Black racism. Amnesty International

Jon Gambrell and Adam Schreck: Russia’s call-up splits EU; Ukraine says it shows weakness. Associated Press

Nadeem Badshah summarizes what we know on day 214 of the invasion. The Guardian

Ivana Saric: Nord Stream pipeline leaks were an act of sabotage, EU says. Axios

Amir-Hussein Radjy says Iran’s anti-veil protests draw on long history of resistance. Associated Press

Darren Major: on National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, Murray Sinclair challenges Canadians to be mindful, year-round. CBC

Peter Sagal puts a face on the senseless gun violence in the US: killed for walking a dog. The Atlantic

Rob Ferguson reports that Ontario tries to delay shutdown of Pickering nuclear station amid electricity “supply crunch,” sources say. The Toronto Star

Julia Simone-Rutgers: no place to live. One person’s search for a place to call home reveals a public housing system stretched to its limits. The Walrus

Jessica Stillman: a neuroscientist explains when it’s time to start worrying about your memory. Inc.

Shape-shifting fat cells fuel breast cancer growth. And they may lead to new treatments (!) Medical Xpress

Allie Volpe shares the sleep advice no one tells you. Vox

Ashawnta Jackson: vampires and public health. JSTOR Daily

Jenna Benchetrit says “quiet quitting” isn’t really quitting, but it’s forcing employers to adapt. Essentially, it’s the backlash against hustle culture. CBC

Clark Quinn considers the power of emotion. Learnlets

The fatal physics of falling objects. Veritasium

James Doubek: Jupiter is coming its closest to Earth in decades. NPR

NASA’s Juno shares first image from flyby of Jupiter’s moon Europa. NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory

Ashley Strickland reports that NASA’s DART mission successfully slams into an asteroid. One small collision for humankind … 🙂 Then, Webb, Hubble space telescopes share images of DART slamming into an asteroid. CNN

Sarah Collins says there’s new evidence of liquid water beneath the south polar ice cap of Mars. University of Cambridge

Smriti Mallapaty: China’s Mars rover finds evidence of catastrophic floods. Nature

Elizabeth Howell announces that SpaceX’s Crew-5 mission will carry Native American woman to orbit for first time. Space.com

Grace Toohey reports that Mexico earthquake triggers “desert tsunami” 1,500 miles away in Death Valley cave. Phys.org

John Bartlett: Gran Abuelo in Chile could be the world’s oldest tree. The Guardian

Dogs love the smell of stress. SciShow

More on the same: dogs can smell when we’re stressed, study finds. Phys.org

Thank you for spending a little time with me, 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: Popping your mental corn, Sept 4-10, 2022

September 15, 2022September 11, 2022 / Melanie Marttila

Tomorrow is Friday, and we’re halfway through September (!). Get your mental corn popping in time for the weekend 🙂

Jordan Laird provides a timeline of the Columbus police fatal shooting of Donovan Lewis. The Columbus Dispatch

Jamie Ducharme reports that US medical schools are struggling to overcome centuries of racism in healthcare. Time

Matthew Wills reveals the truth about Isabella Van Wagenen. JSTOR Daily

Lorenzo Tondo and Julian Borger: UN calls for demilitarised zone around Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant. The Guardian

Hanna Arhirova and Yuras Karmanau report that Ukraine claws back territory. Associated Press

China earthquake death count rises to 74 as lockdown anger grows. Associated Press

Two suspects sought for Saskatchewan stabbings now face charges, 10 dead and injured count rises to 18. CBC

Julie Steenhuysen and Jennifer Rigby reveal long covid’s link to suicide: scientists warn of hidden crisis. Reuters

James Gallagher: new malaria vaccine is world-changing, say scientists. BBC

Buckingham Castle announces that Queen Elizabeth II died on September 8, 2022. BBC

Clark Quinn recommends you test and tune your learning solutions. Learnlets

Derek Thompson: your career is just one eighth of your life. The Atlantic

Why you should daydream. Elizabeth Cox | TED-Ed

Simon Lewson explains what Canada’s largest art heist reveals about the art world’s shady side. The Walrus

Manuel Ausloos and Sybille de La Hamaide report that restoration of Notre Dame’s smoke-damaged stained glass begins. Reuters

Maggie Zhou: you’re not scared of failing, you’re scared of succeeding. Refinery 29

Guy Kawasaki interviews Cassie Holmes about applying the science of happiness to life. The Remakable People Podcast

Hasima Khatib tells you how to survive 2022’s third Mercury retrograde starting September 9^th. Vogue

Will Sullivan reveals that a lunchbox-sized device is making oxygen on Mars. The Smithsonian Magazine

Donna Lu reports that a new solar-powered invention creates hydrogen fuel from the atmosphere. The Guardian

Scott FaLee explains how changes in length of day affect the brain and subsequent behaviour. UC San Diego

Yvaine Ye reports that embryos with DNA from three people develop normally in first safety study. Nature

Brian Handwerk: the earliest known amputation was performed 31,000 years ago in Borneo. The Smithsonian Magazine

Yvonne Gordon wonders what ancient secrets lie beneath this little-known Irish bog? National Geographic

Bob Yirka reports that over 90% of identifiable trash in the North Pacific Garbage Patch comes from just six countries. And Canada and the US are two of them 😦 Phys.org

Clodagh Kilcoyne and Conor Humphries: Irish nuns bid to turn their convent green. Reuters

True facts: parasitic birds. Ze Frank

How tardigrades bear dehydration. University of Tokyo

Giulia de Amicis presents a fascinating infographic depicting 40 different animal sleep patterns. Visual Capitalist

Thank you for visiting, 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: Popping your mental corn, Aug 14-20, 2022

August 25, 2022August 21, 2022 / Melanie Marttila

I hope everyone is making the time to enjoy summer. Now, it’s time to get your mental corn popping!

Natalia Zinets: blasts hit Russian base in Crimea, Ukraine targets supply lines. Reuters

Nathalie op de Beeck: see Jane use a speculum. JSTOR Daily

Jackson Weaver: Lisa Laflamme blindsided by cancellation of contract with CTV. CBC News

Examining sensitivity online. Khadija Mbowe | You Can Always Change Your Mind

Kaitlyn Tiffany: That’s it. You’re dead to me. Everyone is suddenly “toxic.” The Atlantic

Jessica Stillman reports that a Stanford neuroscientist says this simple breathing exercise in like a kill switch for stress. Inc.

The Next Big Idea Club busts five myths about resilience you need to stop believing so you can cultivate true grit. Fast Company

Jeff Haden: are you a night owl trying to be an early bird? Science says you may (literally) be killing yourself. Inc.

How cameras make you forget. Answer in Progress

Clark Quinn: consumed by consumption? Learnlets

Tiffany Fairly reports that the Artemis I moon rocket arrives at launch pad ahead of historic mission. NASA | Artemis

Davide Castelvecchi says notorious dark matter signal could be due to analysis error. Nature

Ayana Archie reports that the northern lights may move farther south into mainland US this week. NPR

Michelle Codiva: Nadir Crater in West Africa suggests a second impact after the Chicxulub Crater from the asteroid that wiped out the dinosaurs. The Science Times

Bob Yirka: grains of dust from asteroid Ryugu older than out solar system. Phys.org

Stuart Roberts and Dr. James Freeman say do not try this at home: medieval medicine under the spotlight in major new project. The University of Cambridge

Laser archaeology is revealing the Amazon’s urban jungle. SciShow

Sarah Collins reports that floating “artificial leaves” ride the wave of clean fuel production. The University of Cambridge

Craig Welch explains how the historic climate bill will dramatically reduce US emissions. National Geographic

Kevin Simauchi: extreme heat uncovers lost villages, ancient ruins, and shipwrecks. Bloomberg

Gaia Vince explains why we need to prepare for the great upheaval: the century of climate migration. The Guardian

John Timmer reports that de-extinction company sets it’s next (first?) target: the thylacine. Ars Technica

Michael A. Little wonders why do animals have tails? The Conversation

Michelle Megna lists the states with the most spoiled dogs in 2022. Forbes

Thanks 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, July 31-Aug 6, 2022

August 11, 2022August 7, 2022 / Melanie Marttila

It is time, my writerly friends, to get your mental corn popping!

Dylan Lovan reports that feds charge four police officers in fatal Breonna Taylor raid. Associated Press

“A specific form of anti-Black racism”: scholars want Canadian apology for slavery on Emancipation Day. CTV News

Saba Aziz: hate crime reports in Canada surged during covid-19 pandemic: StatCan. Global News

Wency Leung wonders, is there a covid-19 endgame still in sight with BA.5 spreading fast? Not with vaccines alone. The Globe and Mail

Natalia Zinets says there’s a glimmer of hope as Ukraine grain ship leaves Odessa port. Reuters

Matthew Lee, Nomaan Merchant, and Aamer Madhani: Biden declares killing of al-Qaida leader is long-sought “justice.” Associated Press

The four things you need to be an expert. Vertasium

Arthur C. Brooks explains how to embrace doing nothing. Like literally. The Atlantic

Tracy Brower: this is how job stress can worsen your health, according to science. Fast Company

Lindsay Kohler explains why boredom at work is more dangerous than burnout. Forbes

Clark Quinn wonders if learning and development (L&D) language is limiting? Learnlets

Harold Jarche is navigating complexity (in personal knowledge management).

How Fahrenheit fails you. Answer in Progress

Ashley Strickland: rare type of galaxy dazzles in new Webb telescope image. CNN

Why is puberty so weird? Be Smart

Ian Sample reports that scientists create world’s first synthetic embryos. It’s more about understanding how organs develop in a fetus and the potential for growing transplants from stem cells like bone marrow for leukemia patients. The Guardian

Jill K. Robinson: in Polynesia, tattoos are more than skin deep. National Geographic

Allyson Chiu says when celebrities use private jets excessively, it’s a climate nightmare. The Washington Post

True facts: the self-sacrificing amoeba. Ze Frank

Thank you for visiting. I hope you took away something to support 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, July 3-9, 2022

July 14, 2022July 10, 2022 / Melanie Marttila

Welcome to thoughty Thursday, your opportunity to get your mental corn popping. And happy Friday eve, all!

Steve Karnowski reports that Chauvin sentenced 21 years for violating George Floyd’s civil rights. Associated Press

Samantha Beech and Dakin Andone: Jayland Walker suffered at least 60 wounds in fatal police shooting, Akron police chief says, as authorities release bodycam footage. CNN

Ashley Domingo Hendricks explains what dance activism is. JSTOR Daily

Aborting the sun: the facts, the feels, the action. Khadija Mbowe

Rebecca Deczynski says that, with Roe gone, entrepreneurs and brands are fundraising for reproductive rights organizations. Inc.

Crystal Echo Hawk: women’s bodies are no longer their own. For Native people, they never have been. Elle

Cazembe Murphy Jackson is a trans man who had an abortion: reproductive rights is everyone’s fight. Esquire

Satoshi Sugiyama and Chang-Ran Kim reveal that Shinzo Abe’s assassin used a handmade firearm. Reuters

Martin Finucane reports that Boston researchers may have found the biomarker for long covid. The Boston Globe

Clark Quinn wants instructional designers to think about activities beyond the course. Learnlets

Guy Kawasaki interviews Esther Dyson on what’s after success. The Remarkable People Podcast

Joe tries to land a plane (to prove a point). Be Smart

The Next Big Idea Club says it’s time to reframe our thoughts about anxiety. Here’s how to use it productively. “Treating all anxiety as a disease hinders us from finding ways to manage and use anxiety to our advantage, and from benefiting from treatments when we do need extra support.” Fast Company

Alex Pasternack wonders what physicists have found and what they’re looking for next at the CERN Large Hadron Collider. Fast Company

Meet the microbes that could eat your trash. TED-Ed

Olivia Box admires sacred trees in Japan. JSTOR Daily

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, June 26-July 2, 2022

July 7, 2022July 3, 2022 / Melanie Marttila

I’m hoping the early days of summer have been kind to you. Now refresh your brain and get that mental corn popping 🙂

Ashawnta Jackson: race, rock, and breaking barriers. JSTOR Daily

Beth Silvers and Sarah Stewart Holland (of the Pantsuit Politics Podcast) declare that even though Roe is gone. We have to keep fighting. Marie Claire

Roe vs. Wade: law professors break down what happened. The Problem with Jon Stewart

Andréa Becker: as anti-abortion laws pop up across the US, Mexican activists are helping Americans access free abortions. Insider

What does Dirty Dancing have to do with abortion? (A lot, it turns out.) PBS Origins

Yuliya Talmazan, Phil McCausland, and Artem Grudinin report that Russian missile strike hits shopping mall with more than 1,000 people inside, Ukraine says. NBC News

Ukraine secures release of 144 soldiers in biggest prisoner swap of war. Reuters

Amanda Macias: NATO reaches a deal with Turkey to admit Sweden and Finland, secretary-general says. CNBC

Guy Kawasaki interviews Margaret O’Mara about what we can learn from history. The Remarkable People Podcast

Sabrina read 700 years of history to fix her glasses. Answer in Progress

Allie Volpe says emotional exhaustion is real, but your friendships don’t need to suffer. Vox

Clark Quinn: LXD by design. Learnlets

Heidi Ulrichsen: Sudbury arts community gathers for frank talk on STC-YES Theatre merger. Sudbury.com

Related: Mia Jensen reports that theatre board faces criticism over merger. The Sudbury Star

Diana stays overnight in the most remote camp in the world. Physics Girl

Jacqueline Kilikita: here’s the problem with “reef safe” sunscreen. Refinery 29

Annie Proulx thinks swamps can protect us from climate change, if only we let them. The New Yorker

Kieran Mulvaney explains what a carbon footprint is, and how you can measure yours. National Geographic

George Monbiot says there’s a simple way to unite everyone behind climate justice—and it’s within our power. The Guardian

True facts—the beaver. Ze Frank

An eagle snatched a baby hawk … and ended up adopting it. CBC’s “As it happens”

Thanks for stopping by, 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: Popping your mental corn, June 19-25, 2022

June 30, 2022June 26, 2022 / Melanie Marttila

It’s the last thoughty Thursday of June! Early happy Canada Day to my Canadian friends and early happy Independence Day to my friends south of the border.