Monstrum

Thoughty Thursday: Things that made me go hmmmm on the interwebz, May 10-16, 2020

/ Melanie Marttila

Here we are on Friday eve. You’ve almost made it through the week!

It’s time to reward yourself and get your mental corn popping.

Ashlyn Davis: this year’s Cannes and Sundance film festivals will stream online for free. Here’s how you can watch them. Secret LA

Jessica Tomberlin wonders, what is chronobiology? JSTOR Daily

Rachel Hahn wants you to meet Moms 4 Housing. Vogue

Andy Greenburg introduces you to Marcus Hutchins, the hacker who saved the internet. Wired

Dr. Emily Zarka looks into the urban legend of the slender man, a monster created on the internet. Monstrum

Katherine J. Wu explains how old math reveals new secrets about the monkeyflower. National Geographic

Over 500 beautiful manuscripts from the Islamic world now digitized and free for download. Open Culture

SciShow Space looks at how the alignments of the planets affect Earth.

L’Oreal Thompson Payton expounds on the art of saying “no.” Shondaland

Allison Miller: Joan of Arc, for fascists and feminists. JSTOR Daily

Sharon Blackie: the ancient practice of marrying the land. UpLift

29 things only people who collect pebbles will understand. And click through to hear the essay: cornerstones. BBC Radio 3

Lauren L. Hill reveals the founding mothers of professional surfing. gestalten

Maria Popova shares stunning 19th-century illustrations from the world’s first encyclopedia of the Great Barrier Reef. Brain Pickings

SciShow introduces us to the jellybot.

Ben Taub goes thirty-six thousand feet under the sea. The explorers who set one of the last meaningful records on earth. The New Yorker

Molly Glick: the Great Lakes are higher than they’ve ever been, and we’re not sure what will happen next. Popular Science

True facts about the batfish. Ze Frank

Morgan Olsen shares the Shedd Aquarium’s birthday party for Yaku, their oldest sea otter, replete with seafood cake. Otterly adorable! Time Out

If you’ve been seeing crows everywhere, this is what it means. The Minds Journal

Sara Barnes introduces us to the closest living relative to the dodo, the Nicobar pigeon. Beautiful! My Modern Met

Thank you for visiting and I hope you found something to inspire your next creative project.

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

ThoughtyThursday2019

Thoughty Thursday: Things that made me go hmmmm on the interwebz, April 12-18, 2020

/ Melanie Marttila

Again, I’ve assembled a variety of resources. Some will help you understand what may be happening to you as you physically distance; some will offer some virtual experiences to help fill the extra hours (if you have them); some are the usual interesting articles and posts that will get your mental corn popping.

Brit Dawson explains why we’re all having bizarrely vivid dreams in pandemic lockdown. Dazed

Tanner Saunders compiles a list of 100+ fun things to do at home right now. Then, Evie Carrick shares 13 virtual train rides from around the world. Travel+Leisure

The Toronto Zoo offers online animal streams and educational resources. Durham Radio News

And … watch the Stratford Festival’s YouTube channel for Shakespeare!

Alex Beggs helps you get into making your own pasta. In case you’re tired of baking or have baked yourself into a sugar coma/larger size. Bon Appetit

Monstrum: The Jinn

Ralph Jones interviews Arthur Brand, the world’s greatest art detective. BBC

Matthew Wills: who were the ladies of Llangollen? JSTOR Daily

Emma Taggart: NYC parks are using a designer’s tree font to plant secret messages with trees. My Modern Met

Why the heck are we ticklish? It’s Okay to be Smart

The Mind Circle shares 18 photos that prove the capybara can befriend anyone. ‘Cause we can all use a little calming capy.

Adorbs pictures of dogs (and cockatoos and cats) before and after being called a good boy. Sad and Useless

SciShow explains the delightful mutation that defines Siamese cat appearance.

Thanks for the visit. I hope you take away something to support you in this time of physical distancing, to inspire your next creative project, or to entertain you.

Until next tipsday, stay safe and be well, be kind, and stay strong (even if you don’t think you can). The world needs your stories.

ThoughtyThursday2019