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!

Tipsday: Informal writerly learnings, April 3-9, 2022

April 12, 2022April 10, 2022 / Melanie Marttila

Welcome to tipsday, your opportunity to stock up on informal writerly learnings. Enjoy!

Richelle Lyn wonders whether to trademark or not to trademark. Then, Ambre Leffler recommends the marble jar experiment to balance your energy account. Marina Barakatt discusses Kamala Khan, AKA Ms. Marvel. Then, Laura Whitfield is facing shame and healing through writing a memoir. Later in the week, Madhushree Ghosh shares five books on family and belonging by Southeast Asian writers. DIY MFA

Ellen Brock helps you write your novel’s second quarter.

Julie Duffy wants you to find the fun. Then, Greer Macallister shares the pleasures and pitfalls of changing genres. Donald Maass: there are forces at work here. Nancy Johnson shares three tips for using real-world events. Then, David Corbett makes the next instalment in the continuing saga of the murdered darlings, prologue edition. Writer Unboxed

Tim Hickson fixes Legend of Korra. Hello, Future Me

Harrison Demchick reveals how to write about the pandemic (or not). Helping Writers Become Authors

Karen Debonis: from non-writer to published author in 20 short years. Then, Janice Hardy shares five ways to add depth to a scene. Julie Glover offers 10 common corrections she makes when copyediting. Writers in the Storm

Look what Jill Bearup accidentally made …

Joanna Penn interviews Tiffany Yates Martin about Intuitive Editing. The Creative Penn

Alex J. Cavanaugh talks about taking a writing break. Elizabeth Spann Craig

The story resolution creates a satisfying ending for the reader. Story Grid

Princess Weekes explores the failure of Black Disney.

Adam Rosen explains why you should consider a university press for your book. Then, Lisa Ellison Cooper reveals why your amazing writing group might be failing you. Jane Friedman

Nathan Bransford says there are no writing rules, but there are principles.

How to use symbolism in your writing. Reedsy

Kristen Lamb: memory shapes characters and sharpens conflict. Then, Kristen covers literary larceny and why people should be ashamed.

Colleen M. Story debunks one popular myth writers believe about writer’s block. Writers Helping Writers

Why aren’t angels scary anymore? Fate & Fabled | PBS Storied

Tiffany Yates Martin reveals how KJ Dell’Antonia revises: embracing opportunity. Fox Print Editorial

Chris Winkle profiles five mediocre white men from big-budget stories. Then, Oren Ashkenazi analyzes five underwhelming reveals in speculative fiction. Mythcreants

Sands Hall: “The ways of fiction are devious indeed.” Was Wallace Stegner guilty of plagiarism? Alta

Thank you for taking the time to visit, and I hope you found something to support your current work in progress.

Until Thursday, be well and stay safe, my writerly friends!

Thoughty Thursday: Things that made me go hmmmm on the interwebz, Dec 13-19, 2020

December 24, 2020December 20, 2020 / Melanie Marttila

It’s Thursday (or Friday eve)! It’s also Christmas Eve. You know what that means. It’s time to open some virtual presents and get your mental corn popping.

Isaac Abrak and David McKenzie report on the more than 300 students still unaccounted for after Nigerian school raid. They have since been found/rescued, thank goodness. CNN

Eric Levitz asks, should NYC axe “gifted” programs to integrate its schools? Yes, this is from last year, but it’s an example of another aspect of our lives affected by racism. And it still hasn’t been addressed. New York Magazine

Jeff Zeleny, Dan Merica, Gregory Krieg, MJ Lee and Kate Sullivan: Biden taps Deb Haaland as first Native American interior secretary. CNN

A new variant of coronavirus identified in England. The messaging is to remain calm and wait. Other than to know that it’s more transmissible, they haven’t learned much about it. BBC

Leah Asmelash and Cheri Mossburg report that after 51 years, two amateur codebreakers crack the Zodiac Killer’s cipher. CNN

Loren Grush: Virgin Galactic aborts first powered space flight from New Mexico airport. The Verge

Uranus smells like farts (and other smelly facts about our solar system). SciShow Space

Why do remember the past but not the future (or, how your brain is like an asteroid)? PBS Space Time

Seven-billion-year-old stardust is the o l dest material found on Earth. In Geology

Annie Lennox performs Dido’s Lament with London City Voices. So touching.

Capture the Atlas presents the 2020 northern light photographers of the year.

Sara Burrows: photographer captures the northern lights taking the form of the firebird. Return to Now

True facts about army ant riders. Ze Frank

Rachel Nuwer says young ravens rival adult chimps in a test of general intelligence. Scientific American

Two of the most beautiful voices. Dala – The Christmas Waltz

Thank you for visiting. I hope you took away lots of inspiration for a future creative project.

Until next tipsday, be well and stay safe, be kind, and stay strong. Have a peaceful and safe holiday. The world needs your stories!

Thoughty Thursday: Things that made me go hmmmm on the interwebz, Sept 6-12, 2020

September 17, 2020September 13, 2020 / Melanie Marttila

Welcome to thoughty Thursday, a convenient way to research, inspire creative Ideas (what I call popping your mental corn), learn something cool, or otherwise support your creativity.

For the past several months, I’ve isolated posts related to anti-racism and the pandemic for your convenience.

Dani McClain shares some advice on how to talk to kids about racism and police violence. The Atlantic

Gabriela Fowler explains what it feels like to “pass as white” when you’re mixed race. Buzzfeed

How the death of George Floyd sparked a street art movement. The Smithsonian Magazine

Daniel King shares Ashima Yadava’s portraits of survival. Mother Jones

Rebecca Renner explains why every year—especially 2020—feels like the worst year ever. Doomscrolling, anyone? Anyone? Beuller? National Geographic

Why is it so hard to remember things right now? SciShow Psych

Eleanor Cummins says, the office will never be the same. Popular Science

Alexandra Jones: Jessica Meir returned from the ISS to a pandemic-ridden Earth. The Face

Tammy Chen is a dentist who’s seeing more cracked teeth. How is that connected to the pandemic? The New York Times

The biggest lie about renewable energy. ASAP Science

Paul Vallely explains how philanthropy benefits the super-rich. The Guardian

Alan Yuhas reveals that Roanoake’s “lost colony” was never lost (according to a new book). The New York times

Kat Lonsdorf revisits Fukushima: the ghost towns behind the gates. NPR

Amber Dance considers experiments on mice in space and how they’ll keep human bone and muscle strong on the ISS. Knowable

Gerardo Carrillo: “mammoth central” found at Mexican airport construction site. The Washington Post

Sarah Bahr announces that the Met will hire its first full-time Native American curator. The New York Times

Thanks for visiting and I hope you took away something to support your 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, July 5-11, 2020

July 16, 2020July 12, 2020 / Melanie Marttila / 2 Comments

It’s time to get your mental corn popping (and celebrate the coming weekend)!

Guy Kawasaki interviews Jamia Wilson for his Remarkable People podcast.

Phillip Morris asks, as monuments fall, how does the world deal with its racist past? National Geographic

Bryan Bender, Daniel Lippman, and Sarah Cammarata interview the descendants of Confederate generals who say they’d be happy to see their names go. Politico

Emilia Petrarea reports on solidarity at sea. Surfing protest for Black Lives Matter. The Cut

Carly Silver exposes the racist history behind the Victorian tea “infomercial.” JSTOR Daily

Ian Sample warns of serious brain disorders in people with mild coronavirus symptoms. The Guardian

R.M. Vaughan: how do we get back to work when the trauma of covid-19 persists? “Nobody cares about your neuroses as long as you’re productive. Never mind that 24/7 productivity is what got us here in the first place. You don’t have time to grieve whomever you lost – get back to work. And keep fronting positivity, fronting wellness, fronting that you’re fine, because that’s now part of your job.” The Globe and Mail

Sweden literally gained nothing from staying open during covid-19. The Week

Sarah Caplan explains how America’s hottest city will survive climate change. The Washington Post

SciShow considers the weird world of the Hang Sơn Đoòng caves.

Kellie Doherty suggests some house spirits to keep you company during #pandemiclife. Fantasy Faction

Giovanna Dell’Orto: migrant teens need school, but around the world they face pressure not to go. National Geographic

Matt Reynolds explains how to hack your brain into remembering almost anything. Wired

Physics Girl conducts some fun home science experiments.

Catie Leary show us how the golden ratio manifests in nature. TreeHugger

Dance United Yorkshire – open your eyes.

The Pentatonix – when the party’s over.

Thanks for visiting. 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.

ThoughtyThursday2019

Thoughty Thursday: Things that made me go hmmmm on the interwebz, May 24-30, 2020

June 4, 2020May 31, 2020 / Melanie Marttila

Happy Friday eve! It’s time to get your mental corn popping 🙂

Ben Lindbergh: NASA and Space-X unleash the dragon as they count down to the next stage of space travel. The Ringer

Jacob Bogage and Christian Davenport report on the successful launch of the Falcon 9 with NASA astronauts and separation of the Dragon capsule. The Washington Post

Five ways solar energy could develop. SciShow

Maya Wei-Haas says, there are “mountains” bigger than Everest deep inside Earth. National Geographic

Jason Daley: a sorceress’ kit was discovered in the ashes of Pompeii. The Smithsonian Magazine

Terry Gross interviews James Nestor on how the “lost art” of breathing affects sleep and resilience. NPR

Michael Gresko explains how we make, recall, and forget memories. National Geographic

SciShow Psych separates fact from fiction about borderline personality disorder.

Gestalten explores the mystique of scent. The internet has a smell. Who knew?

Rebecca Friedel introduces us to the runner bean, JSTOR Daily’s plant of the month.

Open Culture shares John Coltrane’s illustration of the mathematics of music.

Leah Pellegrini shares breathtaking photographs that capture ballet’s finest dancing on the streets of New York. My Modern Met

Thank you for stopping by and I hope you’ve found something to inspire your next creative project.

This weekend, I should have my next chapter update for May coming out.

Until then, be well and stay safe, be kind, and stay strong. The world needs your stories.

ThoughtyThursday2019

Thoughty Thursday: Things that made me go hmmmm on the interwebz, June 23-29, 2019

July 4, 2019June 30, 2019 / Melanie Marttila

Happy Independence Day to my friends south of the border! Take some time to feed your brain and get your mental corn popping!

IndependenceDay

Robin Hammond presents Stonewall at 50: stories of resistance and resilience. National Geographic

Mia Jensen interviews Cathy Mulroy about her career as a woman miner and her upcoming memoir. The Sudbury Star

Ahem. Yeah, I shared one of the cited articles (the BBC one) a couple of weeks ago. Here is the awesome debunking of that study on how technology influences the human skeleton and all the reportage it received. I am duly reminded that correlation is not causation. Thank you, SciShow. Seriously.

Simon Makin: better memory through electrical brain ripples. Scientific American

SciShow Psych discovers that alcohol may enhance your creativity in some respects, but not others.

Joyce Cohen: for those with hearing impairments, restaurant noise isn’t just an irritation. It’s discrimination. The Washington Post

Brene Brown talks to Oprah Winfrey about the six types of people who don’t deserve to hold space for you.

Jill Paider lists 20 sublime retreats you need to visit for creative inspiration. Dwell

Bryan Bender: a new moon race is on. Is China already ahead? Politico

SciShow answers the question, what makes soft things soft?

Dr. Suzanne Hoffmann and Professor Manfred Gahr have discovered that the brains of birds synchronize when they sing together. How did the do it? With transmitters weighing 1 gram that recorded the brain waves of the birds. Max Planck Gesellschaft

Katarzyna Nowak reveals the daunting task of wildlife crimefighters in the Alaska-Yukon wilderness. National Geographic

John Nova Lomax reports on the flight of the Texas fireflies. Texas Monthly

And that was thoughty Thursday.

This weekend, I’ll be assembling my next chapter update for June 2019. Until then, be well!

ThoughtyThursday2019

Thoughty Thursday: Things that made me go hmmmm on the interwebz, Mar 24-30, 2019

April 4, 2019March 31, 2019 / Melanie Marttila

Here’s your first batch of inspiration, research, and learning links for April.

Beth Gardiner reveals how the car industry hid the truth about diesel emissions. The Guardian

Michael Greshko: how a change in out diets may have altered the way we speak. National Geographic

SciShow News covers the cannonball pulsar and antibacterial metal.

Emily Underwood is listening to ketamine. Knowable

Eda Yu says, social media is ruining our memories. Vice

More SciShow News: neurogenesis may continue into your 80s and the mechanism of hallucinations.

Doug Bock Clark tells the harrowing tale of the underground railroad of North Korea. GQ

Douglas Preston reports on Robert DePalma’s discovery of evidence for the event that caused the extinction of the dinosaurs. The New Yorker

This is the kind of behaviour we have to put up with in Torvi:

I hope at least one of these offerings got your mental corn popping, by which I mean, got those creative ideas ping-ponging around in your head.

This weekend, I’ll be writing up my next chapter update for March.

Until then, my friends, be well 🙂

Thoughty Thursday: Things that made me go hmmmm on the interwebz, Mar 3-9, 2019

March 14, 2019March 10, 2019 / Melanie Marttila

It’s time to get your mental corn popping!

Maya Wei-Haas says, if you’re tired of Daylight Savings Time, check out these places that are trying to end it. National Geographic

Chris Baraniuk: the new weapon in the fight against crime. BBC

AC Shilton lists nine ways to stop using so much single-use plastic. Outside Online

Laura Staugaitis shows us an art installation in the Hebrides that demonstrates the impact of climate change. This is Colossal

Scott Wilson wonders, could the massive aquifer under the Mojave Desert help solve California’s water problem? The Washington Post

Caren Chesler writes about the technological vision quest. It’s not all about a cure (though at least one man is waiting for just that). It’s more about giving those with limited to no vision technological aids so that they can more easily navigate the world on their terms. Popular Mechanics

Michael Greshko examines how we make, remember, and forget memories. National Geographic

Deborah MacKenzie: we may finally know what causes Alzheimer’s—and how to stop it. New Scientist

Apoorva Mandavilli reports on the second patient cured of H.I.V. and why this is a milestone in the global AIDS epidemic. The New York Times

Gianluca Mezzofiore: two astronauts will perform the first all-female spacewalk in history. CNN

SciShow Space news edumacates us about Mars’ ancient underground lakes and SpaceX’s successful Demo 1 mission.

Physics Girl explains Stephen Hawking’s final theory about black holes. It involves soft hair.

Deborah Netburn digs into an archaeological find: more than 140 children may have had their hearts torn out in ancient Peru. L.A. Times

Louise Pryke introduces us to Enheduanna, princess, priestess, and the worlds first author. The Conversation

Open Culture shares the news: The Book of Kells has now been digitized.

PBS Eons looks at the islands of huge hamsters and giant owls.

Bored Panda shares the photographs of Lisa, AKA ostdrossel, who set cameras in front of her birdfeeders. They’re amazing and hilarious.

Linda Lombardi wonders, do anxious owners make for anxious dogs? National Geographic

Thanks for stopping by. I hope you found something to fuel your creative efforts.

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

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Thoughty Thursday: Things that made me go hmmmm on the interwebz, Dec 2-15, 2018

December 20, 2018December 16, 2018 / Melanie Marttila

Last week, I had two skimpy links to offer. As I said, my brain refused to brain in the week following NaNoWriMo. This week, the neurons mustered, and so I have a reasonable selection of stuff to pop your mental corn 🙂

The Guardian editorial staff shares its view on editing human DNA: a bad idea, and badly executed.

This “city” for people with dementia is the future of memory care. Katherine Schwab for Fast Company.

More neuroscience with Shannon Odell. Your brain on hangovers. Inverse