NASA

Thoughty Thursday: Things that made me go hmmmm on the interwebz, Sept 23-29, 2018

/ Melanie Marttila

Welcome to thoughty Thursday where the goal is to get your mental corn popping!

That Phoenix debacle that keeps popping up from time to time in my social media feeds or these curations? Yeah, that one. Here’s a video that may help explain things:

 

Sarah DiGiulio explains why your weird dreams actually make a lot of sense (according to neuroscience and psychology). NBC News

Megan Feldman Bettencourt: how forgiveness has been weaponized against women. In other words, to truly forgive someone, they have to be held accountable. Harper’s Bazaar

Linda Rodriguez McRobbie reports on the dead beneath London’s streets. Smithsonian Magazine

SciShow introduces us to the incredible biodiversity of Lake Baikal—plus, extremophiles!

 

Matt Reynolds examines the almighty tussle over whether we should talk to aliens or not. SETI, METI, and the arguments for and against. Wired

Stephanie Pappas: humans contribute to the Earth’s wobble. Scientific American

SciShow Space looks at the Dark Matter vs. MOND debate.

 

Eric Mack: NASA turns 60 and it’s reinventing itself for the SpaceX era. Cnet

Adrien Mauduit shares his time-lapse video of the skies over Tenerife:

 

Florence + the Machine cover Tori Amos’s “Cornflake Girl.”

 

Beck: Colours

 

I hope you found something interesting in this edutainment mix.

This weekend, I’ll be posting my next chapter update for September.

Until then, be well, my writerly friends 🙂

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Thoughty Thursday: Things that made me go hmmmm on the interwebz, Sept 2-8, 2018

/ Melanie Marttila

The thoughty is a little more substantial this week.

Jim C. Hines considers all that “pro-life” encompasses, or what it should.

Darius Foroux says, the purpose of life is not happiness, but usefulness. Medium

Emily J. Smith: the art of being completely alone. Medium

Christopher D. Connors lists the ten qualities of an emotionally intelligent person. Medium

Brian Handwerk reveals that the benefits of probiotics might not be so clear cut. The Smithsonian Magazine

Sarah Chodosh explains how much your food waste harms the environment. Popular Science

Jane C. Hu goes inside the all-female trek to the north pole. Wired

New Evidence of Water on Jupiter! SciShow Space

 

Eric Mack celebrates NASA’s 60th anniversary: all about the space agency’s past, present, and future. CNet

True Facts: Bobbit Worm and Polychaete Pals – Ze Frank

 

I hope something in this modest curation got your mental corn popping.

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, Aug 19-25, 2018

/ Melanie Marttila

Just a little thoughty this week.

Alexandra Hansen: is it possible to catch up on sleep? Yes and no. Quartzy

What if solar energy was as easy as pressing “print”? PBS Reinventors

 

Mary Halton interviews Farah Alibay: when flying to Mars is your day job. BBC

Green Porno: the mantis with Isabella Rossellini (!)

 

True facts about the aye aye. Ze Frank

 

Hope something in this odd mix popped your mental corn.

Be well until the weekend and my next chapter update for August.

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Thoughty Thursday: Things that made me go hmmmm on the interwebz, June 17-23, 2018

/ Melanie Marttila

Happy Friday eve! Let’s get your mental corn popping so you can make it through to the weekend 🙂

Valerie Valdes turned her twitter stream into a post because we need to hear this message. And it’s not just for millennials. It applies to everyone: smart kids eventually grow up. A Candle in Sunshine

Andrew Zalesky wonders, is there any truth to anti-aging schemes? Popular Science

ASAP Science: Can loneliness kill you?

 

Inverse: Your brain on kittens with Shannon Odell.

 

SciShow Psych: Are there “male” and “female” brains?

 

Samanth Subramanian: the world’s top art-forgery detective explains how to spot a perfect fake. The Guardian

Sarah Scoles reports on how NASA is learning the best way to grow food in space. Popular Science

Seán Doran: Gorganum Chaos (there’s also gorganum chaos 2, if you’re interested)

 

Peter Gwin: the horses that changed history. The Wall Street Journal (yes, really)

Lia Eustachewich: how Koko forever changed the way we think about gorillas. It’s heartbreaking that this compassionate and independent spirit is gone. The New York Post

Ze Frank’s True Facts: The Fruit Bat. This may be an old one, but it’s still hilarious.

 

Florence + the Machine – Big God

 

I hope you enjoyed your edutainment for the week, and possibly got some inspiration for your work-in-progress.

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

thoughtythursday2016

Thoughty Thursday: Things that made me go hmmmm on the interwebz, April 8-14, 2018

/ Melanie Marttila

Here are a few links to get your mental corn popping!

Alana Ketler: doctors explain how hiking changes our brains. Collective Evolution

Krista Langlois: why scientists are starting to care about cultures that talk to whales. Smithsonian Magazine

Patricia Emonds: these twins, one black and one white, will make you rethink race. I know NG has received a lot of “too little, too late” criticism about this issue, but the article is interesting. National Geographic

Watch NASA’s 4K tour of the moon. Goddard Observatory

 

And, because Jupiter, an infrared fly by of Jupiter’s north Pole. NASA

 

Florence + The Machine – Sky full of song.

 

I hope you have a grand Friday and a fabulous weekend.

Be well until next Tipsday!

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Thoughty Thursday: Things that made me go hmmmm on the interwebz, March 11-17, 2018

/ Melanie Marttila

It’s time to get your mental corn popping.

Kelli Foster shares 24 essential recipes for your St. Patrick’s Day celebrations. So what is St. Patrick’s Day has passed? Enjoy these Irish treats any time of the year. The Kitchn

Patti Neighmond: the heart gets younger with exercise, even if you’re middle aged. NPR

Yes, the headline is click-bait-y (and the writers did have some fun with it, I’m sure), but NASA is, in fact, planning robotic missions to Uranus and Neptune: NASA wants to probe deeper into Uranus than ever before. The Space Academy

I woke up on March 14th, Pi day, the Ides of March, and the first news that greeted me was the passing of Stephen Hawking. Another heartstring broken. Here is Cambridge University’s tribute to Stephen Hawking.

Yonette Joseph shares Stephen Hawking, in his own words. The New York Times

Benjamin Shingler reports on the troubling pattern emerging from the MMIWG in Quebec. CBC

Indigenous students learn to build tiny houses, from start to finish. Jules Knox for Global News.

Caris Cruz writes about Yggdrasil, the Norse world tree. Tales by Trees

And now, a feel-good story: a dream workshop with the New York City Ballet. Upworthy

 

I hope something in this small selection inspired you to create.

Be well until the weekend.

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Thoughty Thursday: Things that made me go hmmmm on the interwebz, Jan 28-Feb 3, 2018

/ Melanie Marttila

Here are a few things to get your mental corn popping!

Michael Carroll: the richness of everyday life. Mindful

That F word. The state of feminism in the wake of Weinstein and the #metoo movement. CBC’s “Out in the Open” with Pia Chattopadhyay.

Annett Heide introduces us to Maxi Bauermeister, who lives as both a man and a woman. Zeit Magazin

A conversation with Native Americans on race. The New York Times Op-Docs season 6 by Michele Stephenson and Brian Young.

Miranda Larbi shares photos of 19th century interracial couples—incredible examples of love overcoming law. Metro

The Bell Let’s Talk Day impact video. I’ve participated/supported the event for years now.

 

Phil Plait: no, the eclipse and a planetary alignment will not cause massive earthquakes. Sheesh. SyFy

I’m an unapologetic lunatic, so the super moon/blue moon/eclipse/blood moon was kind of a big thing. Here’s a time lapse of the January 31st super blue blood moon over NASA’s JPL. I couldn’t see it here in the Sudz because it was overcast 😦

 

And the highlights from the Griffiths Observatory.

 

February first is St. Brigid’s Day. Here’s some Irish folklore and traditions surrounding the day. ‘Cause I’m paganish.

 

Conscious Reminder presents the evidence for dream telepathy. ‘Cause I’m a huge fan of dreams and various freaky parasomnias.

Vincenzo Pietropaolo writes about Toronto’s oldest tree. The Toronto Star

Nicola Davis reveals how orcas can imitate human speech. The Guardian

Minsmere murmuration:

 

Hope you found something to inspire your next great work.

Be well until the weekend!

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Thoughty Thursday: Things that made me go hmmmm on the interwebz, Oct 22-28, 2017

/ Melanie Marttila

It’s time to get your mental corn popping, my friends.

Phil Plait reports on our first interstellar visitor: an asteroid from another star. Did you go out and look at the moon on Saturday? You should have. October 28 was International Observe the Moon Night. Of course, it was overcast here in the Sudz 😦 SyFy

NASA releases its findings from its study of the Kelly twins. IFLS

SciShow: hypnagogia.

 

And in SciShow news, the Alphago AI and how volcanoes may have influenced ancient Egypt.

 

This is amazing. Russell Powell makes paintings with his hand prints. You just have to see it to appreciate it.

 

Livia Albeck-Ripka: for an endangered animal, a hurricane or a wildfire can mean the end. The New York Times

Kulning – an ancient herdingcall – a farewell song to the cows (and it actually works!)

 

For Hallowe’en, Sonya Vatomsky shares the origins of 25 monsters, ghosts, and spooky things. Buzzfeed

We’ll meet again, come December.

Be well until then 🙂

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Thoughty Thursday: Things that made me go hmmmm on the interwebz, Jan 29-Feb 4, 2017

/ Melanie Marttila

Just a little bit of thoughty this week.

Frank T. McAndrew, PhD explains why our grief over a dog is so intense. Psychology Today

Heather Plett: what it really means to hold space for someone. Uplift

Pallab Ghosh reports on the discovery of our oldest human ancestor (and, boy, is it a beauty). BBC

John Walsh examines how doctors measure pain (and whether it’s of any help to patients). The Guardian

John Broich revisits how journalists covered the rises of Mussolini and Hitler. The Smithsonian Magazine

An open letter from the Canadian tech community: diversity is our strength. BetaKit

Rachel Browne covers Prime Minister Trudeau’s fight against fake news. Vice

Toronto’s Sick Kids hospital will provide surgeries for patients affected by the U.S. travel ban. Maclean’s

Jenny Zhang shares an amateur’s guide to activism for frustrated Canadians. Medium

Johnny Silvercloud: why isn’t anyone talking about the radicalization of whites? AfroSapiophile

Rae Paoletta reports on NASA’s twin experiment. Gizmodo

John Newsom: science illiteracy in the U.S. is a serious threat according to Neil deGrasse Tyson. Greensboro

ASAP Thought: a brief history of the fear of immigrants.

 

Detroit’s muddy bottom conceals cars, cannons, and guns. Robert Allen for the Detroit Free Press.

Hope it was enough to get your mental corn popping, ‘cause you know I want to inspire you to create great things 🙂

See you on the weekend.

Be well until then.

thoughtythursday2016

Thoughty Thursday: Things that made me go hmmmm on the interwebz, May 1-7, 2016

/ Melanie Marttila

CBC covers of the Fort McMurray wildfire and evacuation. Heart-wrenching.

Before you get teary (all over again), the answer to this somewhat sensationalist headline question is yes. Quite a bit, actually. Meagan Campbell asks, is there hope for the pets of Fort McMurray?  MacLean’s Magazine.

In fact, West Jet made it possible for evacuees to take their pets with them. This feel-good piece from Buzzfeed.

NASA names a facility in honour of Katherine Johnson, the mathematician who calculated astronaut trajectories. Collect Space.

Jon Mooallem reports on the amateur cloud society that (sort of) rattled the scientific community. New York Times Magazine.

Alex Newman shares the story of a nurse who helps the homeless die with dignity. The Toronto Star.

Jerrold C. Winter examines what the reporting on Prince’s death reveals about our understanding of pain management. Slate.

Depression is a disease of civilization: hunter-gatherers hold the key to a cure. Return to now.

Maria Konnikova explores how people learn to become resilient. The New Yorker.

Being vulnerable is one of the more important things to master in our lives. Jodi Fraser for Elephant Journal.

More western doctors are prescribing yoga therapy. Susan Enfield for Yoga Journal.

Steven Pace reviews a study that finds trees are linked to the reduction of psychological stress. PsyPost

Terri Windling shares some May Day love 🙂

Linton Weeks looks at female husbands in the 19th century for NPR history.

I didn’t know where to put this. Something to keep in your back pocket for your next trivia night? Opium soaked tampons were the Midol of ancient Rome. Atlas Obscura.

Melissa Wiley shares stunning photos of Africa’s oldest trees, framed by starlight. The Smithsonian Magazine.

Hefty shares 20 pieces of ingenious street art.

Hope you got a few inklings from this.

Now it’s time to go write 🙂

This weekend: The Ad Astra 2016 reportage begins.

Tipsday