Research

Thoughty Thursday: Things that made me go hmmmm on the interwebz, June 27-July 3, 2021

/ Melanie Marttila

It’s time, once again, to get your mental corn popping.

Ray Sanchez and Eric Levinson report on the sentencing of Derek Chauvin. Precedent-setting though it was, is 22.5 years enough? CNN

Adultification, explained (or, are Black girls less innocent?). Kadija Mbowe

Ex-president Jacob Zuma sentenced by South Africa’s top court. Andrew Harding supplies analysis. BBC

Jacqui Germain says, climate justice is a framework for understanding the world. Teen Vogue

The dark history of the Chinese Exclusion Act – Robert Chang TED-Ed

Kimmy Yam: viral images show people of colour as perpetrators of anti-Asian violence. That misses the big picture. NBC News

Amartya Sen: what British rule really did for India. The Guardian

Alex Migdal: 182 more unmarked graves discovered near Cranbrook, B.C. CBC

Daniella Zalcman: pictured with their past, survivors of Canada’s “cultural genocide” speak out. National Geographic

B.C. records 486 sudden deaths, almost triple the usual number, during heat wave. CBC

Rhianna Schmunk: ‘Most homes’ in Lytton, B.C., destroyed by catastrophic fire, minister says. CBC

Richard Grant answers the question, what did Stonehenge sound like? The Smithsonian Magazine

Joe offers a brief (and scientific) history of butts. ‘Cause I thought it appropriate to “end” with humour. Sorry, not sorry. It’s okay to be smart

Thanks for stopping by.  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: Things that made me go hmmmm on the interwebz, June 20-26, 2021

/ Melanie Marttila

It’s time to get your mental corn popping. Yeah, it’s also Canada Day, but I’m not celebrating.

Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor reveals the secret history of Black uprisings. The New Yorker

Ryan Eneas and Theresa Kliem contributed to this report: Cowessess First Nation finds hundreds of unmarked graves at Marieval Residential School in Saskatchewan. CBC

David A. Robertson: “My grandmother’s sister had a name. It was Maggie.” The Toronto Star

A history of Indigenous languages — and how to revitalize them | Lindsay Morcom TED

Shira Pinson: WWII codebreaker Alan Turing becomes the first gay man on a British bank note. NBC News

Jim Downs: how Jonathan Ned Katz rediscovered Eve Adams, the radical lesbian activist. The New Yorker

Total Solar Eclipses Shine a Light on the Solar Wind with Help from NASA’s ACE Mission. NASA

Life on Saturn’s moons? Not as we know it. Dr. Becky

Patrick Roberts excerpts from his latest book: how ancient societies reimagined what cities could be. The Guardian

Colin Packham: UN irks Australia by recommending that the Great Barrier Reef be listed “in danger.” Reuters

Thank you for taking the time to stop by, and I hope you took away something to inspire a future creative project.

This weekend, I should be posting my next chapter update for June.

Until then, 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, June 13-19, 2021

/ Melanie Marttila

Happy Friday eve! Guess what time it is? Time to get your mental corn popping 🙂

Elizabeth Alexander: this is how we can envision Black freedom. National Geographic

Jay Peters announces that Darnella Frazier, who documented George Floyd’s murder, receives Pulitzer citation. The Verge

Alana Wise reports that the US Senate unanimously approves bill to make Juneteenth a public holiday. NPR

Samantha Allen and Nico Lang: five years later, Pulse survivors reflect on its legacy. Them

Emily McCullar explains how the leaders of the Texas revolution fought to preserve slavery. Texas Monthly

Hugh Ryan shares the incredible true adventure of five gay activists in search of the Black Panther Party. Harper’s Bazaar

Nicole Chung is tired of trying to educate white people about anti-Asian racism. Time

The Public Domain Review presents a collection of images of the Zodiac Man.

Caroline Williamson: Zai Divecha turns plain white paper into geometric sculptures. Design/Milk

Matt Simon: how do you make a robot walk on Mars? It’s a steep challenge. Wired

NASA and Boeing progress toward July launch of second Starliner flight test. NASA

Catching solar wind. Is it a truly endless energy source? SciShow Space

Susannah Cullinane and Hollie Silverman report that Wasabi the Pekinese wins Best in Show at the Westminster Dog Show. CNN

Sabrina Imbler: these brittle stars have thousands of “pig snouts” on each arm. The New York Times

A brief history of toilets (cause I’m a fan of toilet humour). Francis de los Reyes. TED-Ed

Thanks for stopping by, and 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: Things that made me go hmmmm on the interwebz, June 6-12, 2021

/ Melanie Marttila / 1 Comment

Let’s get your mental corn popping, shall we?

Benjamin Wallace-Wells: what do conservatives fear about critical race theory? The New Yorker

Algorithms and skin tone bias, or, being dark on “breadtube.” Kadija Mbowe, your cool, millennial aunty

Pope calls for reconciliation and healing over Kamloops residential school discovery but falls short of true apology. CBC (via Reuters)

Andrew Lupton and Kate Dubinski: what we know about the Muslim family in the fatal London, ON truck attack. CBC

Jacqueline Howard: in controversial decision, FDA approves first new Alzheimer’s disease drug in nearly 20 years. CNN

Matt Grossman reports that Jeff Bezos and his brother will be on Blue Origin’s first human space flight. The Wall Street Journal

The “slow” crisis of space junk. PBS Space Time

Joe Hernandez shares pictures of the June 10th “ring of fire” solar eclipse for those who, like me, missed it. NPR

Joe Hernandez: scientists finally know (for sure) what causes the northern lights. NPR

Amanda Parrish Morgan: The Hunt of the Unicorn tapestries present a virgin capture legend. JSTOR Daily

Why do flamingos stand on one leg? SciShow

Alex Fox reports that puppies are born ready to communicate with humans. The Smithsonian Magazine

True facts about the dangerous tick. Ze Frank

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: Things that made me go hmmmm on the interwebz, May 30-June 5, 2021

/ Melanie Marttila / 2 Comments

And now, it’s time to get your mental corn popping!

Zoe Watkins: George Floyd protests prompted a reckoning over colorism and Afro-Latinx identity. Teen Vogue

Solana Rice has a conversation with Tracey Corder about police abolition. The Forge

Jessica Wong explains how these three teachers bring anti-racist education into the elementary classroom. CBC

Debbie Elliott and Marisa Peñalosa: a century after the race massacre, Tulsa confronts its bloody past. NPR

Karlos K. Hill: photographing the Tulsa massacre of 1921. The Public Domain Review

Gary Younge explains why every single statue should come down. The Guardian

Leslie Nguyen-Okwu: to protect me from America, my parents changed my name without telling me. Harper’s Bazaar

How your gut bacteria control your mood. Dr. Tracey Marks

The Kamloops residential school’s mass gravesite: What we know about the 215 children’s remains, and Canada’s reaction so far. An explainer from The Globe and Mail.

The shocking way your body makes electricity. It’s okay to be smart

It’s like Christmas came early for cosmologists! Dr. Becky

Thanks for stopping by, and I hope that you took away something to inspire or inform a future 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, May 23-29, 2021

/ Melanie Marttila

Thoughty Thursday has arrived to get your mental corn popping! Enjoy 🙂

On the anniversary of George Floyd’s death, some consideration of the progress that’s been made since. Baby steps, yes. But steps, nonetheless.

Farnoush Amiri, Colleen Slevin, and Camille Fassett report that the Floyd killing prompts some states to limit or ban choke holds. Associated Press

Fadel Allassan: “Defund the Police” lives on as a local movement. Axios

Then again … 967 people have been shot and killed by police in the last year. The Washington Post

Two officers charged with Manuel Ellis’ murder. USA Today

Lisa Theodore-Vachon says, interracial couple representation in pop culture isn’t as progressive as we think. The Undefeated

Justin Dunnavant, Delande Justinvil, and Chip Colwell want to craft an African American graves protection and repatriation act. Nature

Grace Hauck: Jewish groups sound the alarm on the rise of anti-Semitic hate crimes amid tensions between Israel and Hamas. USA Today

The overlap of autoimmune disorders and mental health conditions. SciShow Psych

Can you be awake and asleep at the same time? Masako Tamaki. Ted-ed

Matt Egan and Alexis Benveniste report that activist investor ousts at least two ExxonMobil directors in historic win for pro-climate campaign. CNN

Related: Dutch court rules oil giant Shell must cut carbon emissions by 45% by 2030 in landmark case. Chloe Taylor for NBC.

Rupert Neate reports that airships for city hops could cut flying’s CO2 emissions by 90%. The Guardian

Matthew Wills says that solar housing is actually kind of retro! JSTOR Daily

Christi Carras announces that a new rainbow set of Lego arrives just in time for Pride Month (everything is awesome!). The Los Angeles Times

The Curiosity rover captures shining clouds on Mars. “Viewed just after sunset, their ice crystals catch the fading light, causing them to appear to glow against the darkening sky.” NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory

Chelea Gohd wants to teach you (yes, it says your kids, but why exclude adults?) about the Super Flower Blood Moon. And, of course, it was overcast here … Space.com

Jess Romeo introduces us to Chien-Shiung Wu, the first lady of physics. JSTOR Daily

5 beautifully complex ways to fly. SciShow

Graeme Green: “huge surprise” as giant river otter feared extinct in Argentina appears. The Guardian

Charlie Campbell says that covid-19 has slashed Asia’s appetite for wild animals. Time

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

This weekend, I should be putting together my next chapter update for May 2021. Until then, be well and stay safe, my writerly friends!

Thoughty Thursday: Things that made me go hmmmm on the interwebz, May 16-22, 2021

/ Melanie Marttila

Happy Friday eve! Get your mental corn popping in anticipation of a lovely weekend!

Laurel Wamsley: prosecutor says deputies were justified in their fatal shooting of Andrew Brown Jr. NPR

The University of Washington reveals that almost all kinds of air pollution affect people of color hardest. Futurity

Khari Johnson: Black and queer AI groups say they’ll spurn Google funding. Wired

Fedora Abu introduces us to Britain’s first Black aristocrats. BBC

Kim Tran shows you the Asian American activism you won’t see on Instagram. Refinery 29

Geeta Pandey reports that India’s holiest river Ganges is swollen with covid victims. BBC

You can’t prove everything is true. Veritasium

Yuliya Talmazan reveals that BBC’s Martin Bashir used “deceitful” methods to secure Princess Diana interview. NBC

The neuroscience of tongue-twisters. SciShow Psych

Randy Pascal: Alex Baumann adds voice to Laurentian pool discussion. The Sudbury Star

Kayla Barron joins NASA’s SpaceX Crew-3 mission to space station. NASA

What the crater from the extinction of the dinosaurs taught us about Mars. SciShow Space

Sierra Garcia wonders what green hydrogen will mean for international relations. JSTOR Daily

Patrick Barkham introduces us to the farmers putting trees back into UK fields. The Guardian

Related: Olivia Box also touts silvopasture, or, why are there cows in the woods? JSTOR Daily

Karen Zamora explains how a fungus is making cicadas sex-crazy (side-effect, dismemberment). NPR

Richard Luscombe says that sharks use Earth’s magnetic field as guidance system. The Guardian

Thank you for taking the time to visit, 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: Things that made me go hmmmm on the interwebz, May 9-15, 2021

/ Melanie Marttila / 1 Comment

‘Tis time, once again, to get your mental corn popping!

Tsione Wolde-Michael: we should think differently about racist monuments. Hyperallergic

Britni de la Cretaz reports that at least four transgender women of color were killed within ten days. Them

Mary Louise Kelly, Karen Zamora, and Amy Isackson want us to meet America’s newest chess master, 10-year-old Tanitoluwa Adewumi. NPR

Joal Stein: spatial abolition and disability justice. Public Books

Nidal Al-mughrabi and Jeffery Heller: Jerusalem violence leads to rockets, air strikes. Reuters

Why do we have bright ideas in the shower? SciShow Psych

Pete Evans: Greyhound Canada shutting down all bus service permanently. CBC

Perseverance’s robotic arm begins to conduct science. NASA

Adam Mann wonders, is Mars ours? The New Yorker

Joanna Partridge reports that electric cars will be cheaper to produce than fossil fuel vehicles by 2027. The Guardian

Patrick Whittle: Vineyard Wind project key to clean energy, is approved. Associated Press

Rebecca Mead reveals the mysterious origins of the Cerne Abbas Giant. The New Yorker

Oliver Milman reports that a forest the size of France regrown worldwide over 20 years. The Guardian

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!

Thoughty Thursday: Things that made me go hmmmm on the interwebz, May 2-8, 2021

/ Melanie Marttila

Let’s get your mental corn popping people!

Becky Sullivan: family and civil rights leaders mourn Andrew Brown Jr. at funeral. NPR

Emily Shapiro and Marlene Lenthang: Atlanta officer fired after fatally shooting Rayshard Brooks has been reinstated. CBS News

Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor considers the emerging movement for police and prison abolition. The New Yorker

Mohammed Elnaiem: the “deviant” African genders that colonialism condemned. JSTOR Daily

Paulina Cachero and Olivia B. Waxman compile 11 moments from Asian American history you should know. Time

Lam Thuy Vo: when their community suffered, these Asian Americans stepped up (where the government didn’t). Documented

Krystal Vasquez says, a disability shouldn’t be a death sentence during a natural disaster. Environmental Health News

Dhruv Khullar takes us inside India’s covid-19 surge. The New Yorker

Erica X Eisen reveals Georgian Britain’s anti-vaxxer movement: “The mark of the beast.” The Public Domain Review

Richard A Friedman says, you might be depressed now, but don’t underestimate your resilience. The New York Times

Why the Millennial vs. GenZ war needs to end. The Take

Kim Fahner: Laurentian is in pieces—those pieces need to be put back together with care. Sudbury.com

More Ingenuity. This time with sound! NASA JPL

Morgan McFall-Johnsen reports that SpaceX has safely landed four astronauts in the ocean for NASA, completing the US’s longest human spaceflight. Insider

Taylor Lorenz: what is cheugy? You’ll know it when you see it. The New York Times

Dorothy Woodend: “Mother Trees” are real. They model sharing and generosity. The Tyee

Why are we warm blooded? It’s okay to be smart

GDT nature photographer of the year 2021. The Guardian

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!

Thoughty Thursday: Things that made me go hmmmm on the interwebz, April 25-May 1, 2021

/ Melanie Marttila / 1 Comment

Let’s get your mental corn popping, shall we?

Alanna Durkin Richer and Lindsay Whitehurst: 1 verdict, and then 6 police killings across America in 24 hours. Associated Press

Ibram X. Kendi: compliance will not save me. The Atlantic

Judas and the Black Messiah, Explained – Self-Preservation Won’t Save You. The Take

Chi Luu: how being polite with the police can backfire. JSTOR Daily

Mimi Fox Melton and Karla Monterosso: if you want a truly equitable workplace, get over your fear of conflict. Fast Company

Michael Luo relates the forgotten history of the purging of Chinese from America. The New Yorker

Ryan Lenora Brown: Séverine Autesserre has seen peacekeeping fail. Here’s her advice on getting it right. Christian Science Monitor

I Kissed a Girl: the messy legacy of a queerbait hit. Melina Pendulum

Matthew Wills: eighteenth-century spies in the European silk industry. JSTOR Daily

Rachael Stephen shares some tools for soothing and survival.

Oliver Burkeman explores the idea of the clockwork universe: is free will an illusion? The Guardian

Gordon Johnston highlights the pink supermoon April 26 and celestial events over the next month. NASA Solar System Exploration

April’s “pink” supermoon around the world—in pictures. The Guardian

Calla Cofield: astronomers release new all-sky map of the Milky Way. NASA

Nina Munteanu wants you to watch Borealis.

Kate Kellaway interviews tree whisperer, Suzanne Simard: “They get along, they listen—they’re attuned.” The Guardian

Guy Kawasaki has a conversation about conservation with Dr. Jane Goodall. Remarkable People Podcast

Sophia Quaglia reports that scientists find a way to remove polluting micro-plastics with bacteria. The Guardian

Royce Kurmelov explains how solar power continues to shock the world. The Guardian

Communication while dreaming. SciShow Psych

Tessa Vikander: beavers chew through a 4.5-inch-thick tube, disrupting power to 900 BC customers. CTV

Thank you for taking the time to visit, 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!