Research

Thoughty Thursday: Things that made me go hmmmm on the interwebz, April 18-24, 2021

/ Melanie Marttila

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

Derek Chauvin guilty of murder and manslaughter in the death of George Floyd. Justice served. CBC

Vanessa Romo: Ma’Khia Bryant shot by Columbus police. NPR

Aymann Ismail says, there’s a reason this keeps happening in Minnesota. Slate

Frederick Joseph: the fact that the officer who shot Daunte Wright is a white woman matters. White supremacy isn’t just about white men. Cosmopolitan

Mitch Dudek: Adam Toledo remembered as a kid with a big imagination and an affinity for shows about zombies. Chicago Sun Times

Madeline Holcombe and Dakin Andone: the US has reported at least 50 mass shootings since Atlanta. CNN

Robert P Baird examines the invention of whiteness: the long history of a dangerous idea. The Guardian

Lauren Frayer relates how India went from a ray of hope to a world record for the most covid cases in a single day. NPR

Gina Kolato explains how Kati Kariko helped shield the world from coronavirus. The New York Times

David Treuer says, return national parks to the tribes. The Atlantic

How ocean currents work (and how we’re breaking them). It’s okay to be smart

Emma Newburger: here’s what countries pledged at Biden’s global climate summit. NBC

Molly Taft presents the history of Earth Day, from radical roots to elementary school classrooms. Teen Vogue

$20 million in NOSM money in jeopardy because of Laurentian insolvency, med school dean says. CBC

Angela Gemmill reports that the Laurentian University financial crisis is not typical of other northeastern Ontario post-secondary institutions. CBC

Ingenuity takes flight! NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory

And then, the Perseverance rover extracts first oxygen from Mars. NASA

Nadia Drake: SpaceX launch kicks off regular commercial flights into orbit. National Geographic

New warp drive possibilities. PBS Space Time

Nikk Ogasa reports that nuclear fallout is showing up in honey decades after bomb tests. Poor bees! Science

Marie M. Daly, the unsung hero behind the building blocks of DNA. SciShow

Kara McKenna: how Canada is trying to protect its last three spotted owls. The Guardian

Thanks for stopping by. I hope you took away something to inspire your next creative project.

This weekend, I hope to post my monthly next chapter update.

Until then, be well and stay safe!

Thoughty Thursday: Things that made me go hmmmm on the interwebz, April 11-17, 2021

/ Melanie Marttila

It’s time to get your mental corn popping with thoughty Thursday.

Mohamed Ibrahim: Minnesota officer meant to draw taser, not handgun. Why didn’t she, then?  Associated Press

Cheryl Teh: police in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, prohibited tear gas—then broke the rule almost immediately. Insider

Jim C. Hines offers his thoughts on American violence and American racism.

Daikin Andone and Chris Boyette report that two Virginia police officers used excessive force during traffic stop of army officer. CNN

Livia Gershon explains how the media covered police brutality three decades ago. JSTOR Daily

Ashawnta Jackson looks back at Sesame Street’s first Black Muppet: Roosevelt Franklin. JSTOR Daily

Caitlin Dickerson: America never wanted the poor, tired, huddled masses. The Atlantic

Bryann Aguilar: Ontario gives police authority to stop pedestrians, vehicles, to ask purpose of travel. CTV

Jane Gersterthen reports that Ontario police won’t conduct random spot checks despite their new authority. CBC

Staff and students stressed and uncertain as Laurentian University job terminations announced today (April 12). CBC

And here’s the list of programs being discontinued. They’re calling it Laurentian University’s Black Monday. Sudbury.com

Charlie Angus speaks eloquently in defense of Laurentian University. CPAC

Casey Stranges reports that all hockey and swim varsity teams chopped as Laurentian cuts continue. CBC

What neuroscience can learn from meditation. SciShow Psych

Ashifa Kassam explains how a tiny grain could change how humanity eats. The Guardian

Jaclyn Diaz reports that Floridians catch meteor’s close brush with Earth. NPR

Donna Sarkar: Earth has been hiding a fifth layer in its inner core. Discover

Naomi Fry touts the low-key, Carter-era pleasures of The Muppet Show. The New Yorker

True facts: trap jaw ants. Ze Frank

Thank you for taking the time to visit. 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 4-10, 2021

/ Melanie Marttila

It’s time again to get your mental corn popping!

Clyde McGrady recounts the strange journey of “cancel” from a Black culture punchline to a white-grievance watchword. The Washington Post

Amanda Choo Quan grew up in a majority-minority country … that still has a problem with anti-Blackness. Harper’s Bazaar

Rhinelander v Rhinelander: The 1920s race and sex scandal you’ve never heard of. Melina Pendulum

Mohammed Elnaiem: Black conquistadors and Black maroons. JSTOR Daily

Sarah Jaquette Ray: climate anxiety is an overwhelmingly white phenomenon. “…is climate anxiety just code for white people wishing to hold onto their way of life or get ‘back to normal,’ to the comforts of their privilege?”  Scientific American

Anne Branigin reports that Asian American mothers and daughters are grieving together after the Atlanta spa attacks—and seeing each other anew. The Lily

Malcom & Yuri, yellow peril, ‘Orientalism’, the china doll, dragon lady, and the model minority. Kadija Mbowe

Raffi Khatchadourian recounts Anar Sabit’s experience surviving the Xinjiang crackdown. The New Yorker

Jenny Lamothe reports that faculty worried about the future of the University of Sudbury’s ground-breaking Indigenous studies program. Sudbury.com

Len Gillis: seven dead in seven days; covid-19 leaving a grim mark on Sudbury. Sudbury.com

This result could change physics forever. Physics Girl

Natalie Wolchover: “last hope” experiment finds evidence for unknown particles. Quanta

Sophia La Banca is shedding light on the cost of light pollution. JSTOR Daily

Meet your microglia, the brain’s overlooked superheroes. SciShow Psych

And that was your thoughty for the week. Thanks for stopping by 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.

Thoughty Thursday: Things that made me go hmmmm on the interwebz, March 28-April 3, 2021

/ Melanie Marttila

Thoughty Thursday is here. A little short on material that will get your mental corn popping this week. I’ve been cutting down on news for self-care purposes. Sorry. There’s still some excellent material here, though.

Susan Du and Nicole Norfleet: prayer service on eve of Derek Chauvin trial urges peace, unity, and justice. Star Tribune

Victoria Bekiempis announces that, for the first time, four women of colour command US navy warships. The Guardian

Matthew Barakat and Michael Kunzelman: high court rules that Charlottesville can remove confederate statues. Associated Press

Elissa Nadworny introduces us to the people cleaning a college campus during a pandemic: “without us, this campus shuts down.” NPR

Emma Graham-Harrison reports that Beijing cuts Hong Kong’s democratically elected seats in radical overhaul. The Guardian

Women/yn/xn, origins, labels, and the right to self-identify | Khadija Mbowe

Jacqueline Rose examines the damage silent forms of violence against women cause. The Guardian

Matthew Wills explains how women first learned self-defence. JSTOR Daily

Anton Troianovsky: hunting ghost particles beneath the world’s deepest lake. The New York Times

Amanda Kooser: dubbed “one who causes fear,” newly discovered dinosaur was a true, meat-eating terror. CNet

Elle Hunt reports that the rediscovery of a rare gecko delights experts. The Guardian

Kathryn Schulz explains why animals don’t get lost. The New Yorker

Lily Feinn tells the sweet tail (pun intended) of Sisu, the stray who kept trying to steal the same purple unicorn from a dollar store. The Dodo

Thank you for taking the time to visit. I hope you found something to inspire 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, 21-27, 2021

/ Melanie Marttila / 1 Comment

No April fools today! Just an opportunity to get your mental corn popping.

Illinois becomes the first city to offer Black residents reparations. Associated Press

Kim Barker, Mike Baker, and Ali Watkins: in city after city, police mishandled Black Lives Matter protests. The New York Times

Ashawnta Jackson explains how Mary Fields became “Stagecoach Mary.” JSTOR Daily

Lawrence Hurley: SCOTUS expands the ability to sue police for excessive force. Reuters

Related: Jacob Blake file excessive force lawsuit against officer who shot him in the back. CBS News

Whittney Evans reports that Virginia becomes the first southern state to repeal the death penalty. NPR

Li Zhou: the Atlanta shootings can’t be divorced from racism and misogyny. Vox

Kareem Fahim reports that Erdogan pulls Turkey out of European treaty aimed at protecting women from violence. The Washington Post

Nahal Toosi: US, UK, EU, and Canada announce sanctions on China for Uighur genocide. Politico

This is why we can’t have nice things. Real conspiracies. Veritasium

Ian Austen highlights Winnipeg’s new showcase and meeting place for Inuit art and artists. The New York Times

The history of throwing shade. The Take

Anne Lacaton and Jean-Philippe Vassal win a humble prize for architecture. Christian Science Monitor 

Breakthroughs in artificial wombs and growing heart valves. SciShow News

Jenny Stevens offers some big vagina energy: the return of the Sheela na gig. The Guardian

The biggest lie about nuclear energy. ASAP Science

In honour of World Water Day, Nina Munteanu writes about water protectors.

“Our biggest challenge? Lack of imagination: the scientists turning the desert green. Steve Rose for The Guardian.

Stuart Clark: Elsa-d mission to clean up space debris set for launch. The Guardian

Robin George Andrews: scientists spot a “space hurricane” for the first time. National Geographic

Thank you for taking the time to visit, and I hope you took away something to inspire your next creative project.

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

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

Thoughty Thursday: Things that made me go hmmmm on the interwebz, March 14-20, 2021

/ Melanie Marttila

Happy Friday eve! It’s time to get your mental corn popping for the weekend.

Chloee Weiner: hundreds gather to demand justice for Breonna Taylor 1 year after her death. NPR

Tanisha C. Ford reveals how socialite Mollie Moon used fashion shows to fund the civil rights movement. Harper’s Bazaar

Meghan and Harry. Kadija Mbowe (your fun, millennial auntie)

Rhiannon Johnson announces that the Poundmaker Cree Nation welcomes bison back to traditional territory. CBC

“Unspeakable tragedy”: local leaders, Asian-American groups react to deadly shooting. WSB-TV 2 Atlanta

UK police under fire after crackdown on vigil for Sarah Everard. Bangkok Post

My amazing friend, Kim Fahner offers a message for those of us who are women who walk: in memory of Sarah Everard. The Republic of Poetry

Jaclyn Diaz reports that thousands march in Australia as another #metoo wave hits the country. NPR

Lakin Brooks: women dominated beer brewing until they were accused of being witches. The Smithsonian Magazine

Stephen Humphries: what does resilience sound like? Ian Brennan and Marilena Umuhoza Delli travel the world to find out. Christian Science Monitor

The National World War II Museum reveals Bea Arthur, US marine.

Shaina Ahluwalia and Roshan Abraham report that Europe becomes the first region to exceed 1 million deaths from covid-19. Global News

Katy Steinmetz: Elliot Page is ready for this moment. Time

Japan court finds same-sex marriage ban unconstitutional. BBC

Amy McKeever explains what the faces on its currency tell us about a country. National Geographic

Jillian Ambrose: bladeless turbines could bring wind power to your home. The Guardian

SNOLAB launches art and dark matter online platform, Drift. The Sudbury Star

The first science result from Perseverance on Mars! Night Sky News March 2021 | Dr. Becky

Robin George Andrews reveals the fresh clues of a new theory about where Mars’ liquid water went. National Geographic

What’s impossible in evolution? It’s okay to be smart

Philip Hoare: sperm whales in the 19th century shared ship attack information. The Guardian

Thanks for stopping by. I hope you took away something to inspire you 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, March 7-13, 2021

/ Melanie Marttila

The season rolls over on Saturday. Welcome spring by getting your mental corn popping.

Susan Ormiston: George Floyd murder trial tests how much—if anything—will change in the US. CBC News

Liz Navratil and Maya Rao report that Minneapolis to pay record $27 million to settle lawsuit with George Floyd’s family. Is this justice? How do you put a dollar amount on something like this? Star Tribune

Andy Mannix introduces us to Families Supporting Families Against Police Violence: blood relatives. Star Tribune

Kelly Murray and Alta Spells: Amanda Gorman, inaugural poet, tailed by security guard on her walk home. This is every Black woman’s life. CNN

Senegal opposition leader Ousmane Sonko to appear in court. Al Jazeera

WHO study finds that 1 in 3 women face physical or sexual violence. In the week of International Women’s Day, we still have a way to go. Associated Press

Laura Smith-Spark: Sarah Everard case prompts outpouring from women sharing stories of abuse and harassment on UK streets. CNN

Katherine Angel explains why we need to take bad sex more seriously. On the intersection of #metoo, feminism, and consent culture. The Guardian

Naomi Milthorpe and Eliza Murphy: sick party! The history of parties (real and fictional) spreading illness. JSTOR Daily

Benjamin Wallace-Wells wonders, who’s in charge of cancel culture? The New Yorker

Alison Campsie announces that the Pictish-era book that shares the first example of written Gaelic is coming home. The Scotsman

Sara Barnes introduces us to Nicolas Bruno and his hauntingly beautiful Somnia Tarot photographs. My Modern Met

The Golden Ratio: is it myth or math? It’s okay to be smart

Alastair Gee: is this the end of forests as we’ve known them? The Guardian

Related: Olivia Box shares good news for the lodgepole pine. JSTOR Daily

The truth about “green” grocery bags. SciShow

Seth Borenstein and Mayuko Ono: some sea slugs grow new bodies after decapitation. Associated Press

Natasha May announces that Wisdom the albatross, the world’s oldest known wild bird, has another chick at age 70. The Guardian

Jordan Mendoza reports that a rare yellow cardinal is spotted in Illinois backyard—a one-in-a-million chance. USA Today

Thank you for visiting. I hope you took away something to inspire 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, Feb 28-March 6, 2021

/ Melanie Marttila

Welcome to thoughty Thursday, your chance to get your mental corn popping 🙂

Anna Spoerre, Katie Moore, and Glenn E. Rice report that KC police officer who fatally shot Donnie Sanders will not be charged. The Kansas City Star

Cara Anna: Amnesty report describes Axum massacre in Ethiopia’s Tigray. Associated Press

Ryan Patrick Jones and David Cochrane report that the Johnson & Johnson covid-19 vaccine becomes the fourth to receive Health Canada approval. Now if we can only get our distribution ducks in a row … CBC

Adam Carter reveals that judge finds Toronto van attack perpetrator guilty of murder. 10 counts of first degree and 16 counts of attempted murder. CBC

Eric Cheung reports that Hong Kong protestors come out as 47 pro-democracy activists appear in court. CNN

Myanmar protests see deadliest day as 38 protestors killed. BBC World News

Is cancel culture real? What does it meme? The Take

Justine Calma: countries are polluting like it’s 2019 again. The Verge

See the whole replay for the latest Starship launch, flip, and landing. Then, she ‘splodes. The exciting part is in the last two hours. NASA Spaceflight

Susanna Wolff goes beyond hygge (by which she really means “Google-translating words from English to Danish in an attempt to pass off the true and pathetic details of your depressing existence as amusing, relatable content.”). The New Yorker

Molly McCully Brown says, “I am a woman who wants”: on disability and desire. The Guardian

Connor McGovern is exploring legends on the Isle of Skye: warrior queens, faeries, and feuding clans. National Geographic

Cath Pound explains how Alphonse Mucha’s iconic posters came to represent Art Nouveau. Artsy

Michelle Starr announces that a cephalopod has passed a cognitive test designed for human children. Science Alert

James Crombie photographs of murmurations over Lough Ennell. Absolutely stunning. The Irish Times

Kalpana Sunder explains how the world’s smallest wild hog was saved from extinction: pig in clover. The Guardian

True Facts: deception in the rainforest. Ze Frank

Elle Hunt: researchers discover three deep-sea sharks glow in the dark. The Guardian

Thank you for taking the time to stop by. I hop you took away something to inspire your next creative project.

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

Tipsday: Writerly Goodness found on the interwebz, Feb 28-March 6, 2021

/ Melanie Marttila

Happy Tuesday, everyone! Time to indulge in some informal writerly learnings.

K.M. Weiland continues her archetypal character arcs series with part four: the queen arc. Helping Writers Become Authors

Sharon Oard Warner advises you to find the ending before you return to the beginning. Jane Friedman

Yuvi Zalkow encourages you to expose your mess. Sarah Penner considers women’s empowerment in fiction from a bookseller’s perspective. Later in the week, Liza Nash Taylor declares, there will be worms. Writer Unboxed

Jill Bearup considers boob armor: four things you need to know.

James Scott Bell wants you to turn envy into energy. Later in the week, Becca Puglisi shares eleven techniques for transforming clichéd phrasings. Writers Helping Writers

Jeanette the Writer lists eight essential edits for your novel. Later in the week, Emily R. King wants you to find your voice. Then, Ann McCallum Staats shares five hands-on research techniques for spot-on writing. DIY MFA

Shaelin looks at Deus Ex Machina: what it is, why it happens, and how to fix it. Reedsy

Janice Hardy points out six places infodumps like to hide in your novel. Fiction University

Then, Shaelin explains how to write a cliff-hanger that keeps readers turning pages. Reedsy

Janice Hardy asks, does you novel have a problem? (It should.) Writers in the Storm

Chris Winkle: Space Sweepers shows us what excellent messaging is. Then, Oren Ashkenazi analyzes five common story fragmentations and how to consolidate them. Mythcreants

Emily Zarka examines the Taotie: the mystery of Chinese mythology’s famous glutton. Monstrum | PBS Storied

Nina Munteanu: the semicolon is dead; long live the semicolon.

Harry Potter isn’t a good guy. The Take

Cassandra Drudi encourages you to listen to Waubgeshig Rice and Jennifer David’s new podcast, Storykeepers, an audio book club on Indigenous literature. Quill & Quire

Kyle Muzyka interviews Richard Van Camp on storytelling and its power to combat loneliness. CBC’s Unreserved

John Dickerson interviews Colson Whitehead, the only fiction writer to win Pulitzer Prizes for consecutive works. 60 Minutes

Guy Kawasaki interviews Luvvie Ajayi Jones for the Remarkable People Podcast.

Gabriel Weisz Carrington explains how his mother, Leonora Carrington, used tarot to reach self-enlightenment. Literary Hub

Thank you for visiting, 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, Feb 21-27, 2021

/ Melanie Marttila

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

Daniel Prude protest in Rochester ends, but organizers vow to return. Democrat & Chronicle

David K. Li reports that an independent probe accuses police and paramedics of wrongdoing in the death of Elijah McClain. NBC News

Marcus P. Nevius delves into the legacy of racial hatred behind the January 6 insurrection. JSTOR Daily

Malcolm X’s family demands his murder investigation be reopened. BBC

Erin Blakemore: Black women have been writing history for over a century. JSTOR Daily

Katelyn Burns: why police single out trans people for violence. Vox

Stella Chan and Leah Asmelash: Angelo Quinto dies after police kneel on his neck for five minutes. CNN

Meaghan Beatley introduces us to Frida Guerrera, the Mexican detective hunting the men who kill women. The Guardian

Andrea Hill and Ryan Kessler report that the lack of funding for piped water on Saskatchewan First Nations means some of reserves can’t drink from their taps. Global News

Andrea Warner: for decades, Buffy Sainte-Marie has had to navigate systemic barriers to cultivate her art. The Globe and Mail

Robert Reich: Texas freeze reveals chilling truth—that the rich use climate change to divide us. The Guardian

Jennifer Moss says, brain fog is a real thing. CBC

Vignesh Ramachandran: Stanford researchers identify four causes of “Zoom fatigue” and their simple fixes. Stanford News

Chi Luu considers the punk rock linguistics of cottagecore. JSTOR Daily

Percy returns a recording of the wind on Mars. SoundCloud

And here’s video of the landing and some of the first images courtesy of CBC.

Kim Fahner writes a love letter to Laurentian University. The Republic of Poetry

Artist “finger paints” masterpieces in the dust of dirty Moscow trucks. Return to Now

Helena Smith reports that a 20-million-year-old petrified tree is found intact in Lesbos. The Guardian

Molly Blackall: rare Amazonian cactus flowers for the first time in UK. The Guardian

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

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

This weekend, I should be putting up my next chapter update.

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