Pre-Raphealites

How’s your week going? Ready to get your mental corn popping in time for the weekend? Let’s go!

Scott Neuman shares three things to know about Black History Month. NPR

What is Juneteenth and why is it important? Karlos K. Hill and Soraya Field Fiorio. TED-Ed

Joanna Lonsdale and Jane Downs reveal the lost history of Tynemouth’s Holocaust safe home for girls. BBC

This injectable biomaterial heals tissues from the inside out. UC San Diego

Jadine Ngan explains why we made fewer memories during the pandemic. The Walrus

Fred Lewsey reports that tuning into brainwaves speeds learning in adults. University of Cambridge

Katina Bajaj says that our brains aren’t meant to work at optimal efficiency. Here’s how to offload your thoughts. Fast Company

Julia Métraux: how did Amy Robsart die? Fertile ground for an Elizabethan mystery 😉 JSTOR Daily

Emily Zarevich introduces us to Elizabeth Siddall, the real life “Ophelia.” JSTOR Daily

Jane Draycott introduces us to the other Cleopatra. Aeon

Alexandra Witze wonders, will an artificial intelligence discover alien life? SETI utilizes AI. The picture of ET is a little condescending and, as my spouse reminds me, what everyone’s calling AI is actually an expert system. Nature

Joey Roulette explains what to expect during the green comet’s encounter with Earth. Reuters

Will Dunham: astronomers document a not-so-super supernova in the Milky Way. Reuters

Becky Ferreira reports that archaeologists discover 1.2-million-year-old workshop in mind blowing find. Motherboard | Vice

Oliver Milman reports that US renewable energy farms outstrip 99% of coal plants economically. The Guardian

True facts: the smartest slime. Ze Frank

UK to restore swathes of wildlife habitat and provide a home for hedgehogs. Reuters

Charlotte Hilton Anderson list 28 ways your pet says, “I love you.” Reader’s Digest

Do all animals play? Be Smart

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

Until my next chapter weekly update, be well and stay safe; be kind and stay strong. The world needs your stories!

Just a wee bit of thoughty, this week.

A timeless icon, Olivia de Havilland turns one hundred. The Daily Mail

Emma Garman reviews the life of Jane Morris, the Pre-Raphealite muse. The Paris Review

If you read last week’s curation, you’ll know that I don’t personally subscribe to the pursuit of happiness ideal. Like Matt Inman (The Oatmeal), I’ve learned that contentment is a much better place to be. Also, to feel anything at all, other than rage, after a depressive episode, is, like, awesome. I don’t need to, or want to, be bouncing-off-the-walls happy. One extreme in emotion usually heralds its opposite.

Still, I read and share all these posts and articles on happiness. What’s up with that? If you take the word happiness out of the equation, these are all really good tips to live a good, meaningful life. That’s what leads to contentment. So there you are: Mellie’s philosophy.

Joseph Mercola lists 22 things happy people do differently. Epoch Times

Emily Hartridge: Q&A on anxiety.