Research

Thoughty Thursday: Things that made me go hmmmm on the interwebz, June 10-16, 2018

/ Melanie Marttila

Just a little thoughty this week to get you through to the weekend.

Jim C. Hines: the message behind daughters and overprotective dads.

Heather Timmons: by threatening Canada on trade, Trump risks the greatest defense partnership in US history. Quartz

Optical scanning technology lets researchers recover lost indigenous languages from wax cylinder recordings. Open Culture

The Medievalists present medieval cooking tips from Ibn Sayyar al-Warraq.

True Facts: the pangolin’s posse. Ze Frank

 

Leah Shoemaker: fire and light hula hooping

 

I hope something in that small package of edutainment 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, June 3-9, 2018

/ Melanie Marttila / 1 Comment

It’s Friday eve! W00t! And now, to get your mental corn popping 🙂

Ashifa Kassam: the toxic legacy of Canada’s CIA brainwashing experiments. The Guardian

John J. Lennon: this place is crazy. A prisoner-journalist’s inside look at mental health in prison. Esquire

Katie Morton: how is ASD expressed differently in females?

 

Mihai Andrei reports that, after successfully passing trials, a Lyme disease vaccine may be available soon. ZME Science

Dirk Schulze-Makuch: fingerprints of Martian life. Air & Space Magazine

What Pacific Islanders want you to know. Buzzfeed video

 

State of emergency declared for Ontario’s turtles after hundreds are run over. Marina von Stackelberg for the CBC.

R.J. Wilson examines the reasons behind many of your dog’s interesting habits. URBO

We all know someone who can’t handle being hungry, AKA the hangry otter.

 

Have a lovely weekend and we’ll see you next Tipsday.

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

thoughtythursday2016

Thoughty Thursday: Things that made me go hmmmm on the interwebz, May 27-June 2, 2018

/ Melanie Marttila

It’s time, once again, to get your mental corn popping. In a small way 🙂

Katie Mach reviews 18 historical beauty standards that we wouldn’t stand for today. Ranker

Why racism isn’t just a southern problem. MTV’s Decoded.

 

Thomas Lewton discovers that young Ethiopians are eying a fertile future in artificial intelligence. UnDark

The Daily Native News presents the first US map that displays “our own” Indigenous names and locations.

Allison C. Meier: the ancient forests that have defied urbanization. City Lab

Elisabeth Donnelly introduces us to Ann Baker, who is trying to breed the perfect housecat in the valley of the ragdolls. Topic

And now you have Friday to look forward to!

Be well until next Tipsday.

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Thoughty Thursday: Things that made me go hmmmm on the interwebz, May 20-26, 2018

/ Melanie Marttila

Happy Friday eve, everyone! Please enjoy these resources. It’s time to get your mental corn popping!

Philip Bump: 2018 has been deadlier for school children than for service members. The Washington Post

Jim C. Hines thinks too many men can’t handle being told no.

Kat Eschner says, sleeping in on the weekend might be good for you, but it’s not going to solve all your problems. Popular Science

How is ADHD different for an adult? Kati Morton

 

Inverse: your brain on meditation with Shannon Odell.

 

Charlotte Ahlin lists eleven real life inventions inspired by science fiction novels. I wasn’t sure whether to put this in Tipsday or here in Thoughty Thursday, but the thought won out. Bustle

Kevin Sieff profiles a 21st Century Noah’s ark in Malawi that strives to repopulate animals that have been wiped out. The Washington Post

Is this the beginning of the end for bees? Mind Foster

Guy Winch: why we need to take pet loss seriously. Scientific American

Tomorrow’s Friday. I hope you have a good one, and a great weekend to come! Looking forward 🙂

Be well until this weekend’s next chapter update. Yup, another month will have passed. Time marches on, but so do we.

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Thoughty Thursday: Things that made me go hmmmm on the interwebz, May 13-19, 2018

/ Melanie Marttila

Welcome to thoughty Thursday. You know what that means: tomorrow is Friday!

Jessica Bennett and Daniel Jones compile these 45 stories of sex and consent on campus. The New York Times

Megan Garber: David Foster Wallace and the dangerous romance of male genius. The Atlantic

Jim C. Hines offers some advice on setting boundaries.

Nicole Gallucci reports that ageism is becoming a major issue for corporations. The Globe and Mail

Tim Herrera lists three things that can help if you’re feeling burned out. The New York Times

Brian Resnick: 100 million Americans have chronic pain, but few use one of the best tools to treat it. Vox

SciShow Space: is there really an infinite multiverse?

 

Mary Schwager: new studies show humans love dogs more than other humans. I Love My Dog

This guy is a case in point. He bought 5,400 ball pit balls and made his dog the happiest dog in the world.

 

I hope something here got your mental corn popping.

Be well until next Tipsday!

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Thoughty Thursday: Things that made me go hmmmm on the interwebz, May 6-12, 2018

/ Melanie Marttila

A few links to get your mental corn popping 🙂

Brian Resnick: Stephen Hawking’s final paper makes a hopeful case for the limits of existence. Vox

A super-massive black hole is hurtling toward Earth, but don’t worry, it’ll take about four billion years to get here. Sci-Tech Universe

Wil Wheaton shares his keynote speech for the NAMI Ohio’s statewide conference, Fulfilling the Promise: I live with chronic depression and I’m not ashamed.

SciShow: the strange (but true) history of hysteria.

 

Inverse: your brain on sugar with Shannon Odell.

 

Inverse: your brain on music with Shannon Odell.

 

Alfredo Carpineti: fasting for just one day can regenerate your stem cells. I wonder if the stomach flu counts? IFLS

Maggie posts about the history of our most common vegetables. The Plant Guide

Rosie McCall reports on a crow that steals a credit card, attempts to use it to buy a train ticket, and, after it fails, returns the card to its owner. Corvids rock my world. IFLS

I hope you found something in the mix to inspire.

Be well until next Tipsday!

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Thoughty Thursday: Things that made me go hmmmm on the interwebz, April 29-May 5, 2018

/ Melanie Marttila

It’s Friday Eve and time to get your mental corn popping!

Isabel Bueno explains why Cinco de Mayo is celebrated. National Geographic

Madison Dapcevich reports on Sweden’s electric road that charges the cars that travel on it. IFLS

The Washington Post profiles the electronics-recycling innovator who’s going to prison for trying to extend computers’ lives.

Jonathan O’Callaghan reports on the discovery of a hidden galaxy orbiting the Milky Way. IFLS

Alfredo Carpineti: Hawking’s final theory about the universe has been published. IFLS

Matt Blitz takes us inside the epic search for extra terrestrial life. Popular Mechanics

This 50-km trail takes you through some of Ontario’s creepiest ghost towns. Narcity

Does your dog love you? Spoiler: turns out the jury’s still out on that one. SciShow Psych

 

Experts beg gardeners to check for hummingbird nests before they prune. Apost

Rosie McCall introduces you to the Superb Bird of Paradise, whose feathers are so black, they absorb 99.95% of light. IFLS

Florence + the Machine – Hunger

 

I hope you found something to inspire this Thoughty Thursday.

Be well until next Tipsday!

thoughtythursday2016

Thoughty Thursday: Things that made me go hmmmm on the interwebz, April 22-28, 2018

/ Melanie Marttila

It’s time to get your mental corn popping for the final push to the weekend. Yes! Tomorrow is Friday. And today is Thoughty Thursday 🙂

Stephen Luntz discovers that trees have a “heartbeat,” too. IFLS

Linda Poon: new “mutant enzymes” could solve Earth’s plastic problem. Are they any better than recycling, though? The proof remains to be seen. City Lab

Another promising solution? Saqib Shah: first ever ocean plastic cleaner will tackle the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. The New York Post

Why so few people on the Six Nations Reserve have clean, running water, unlike their neighbours. It’s not just remote or northern reserves. We really have to provide all people with the necessities of life. Like, yesterday. CBC’s “Out in the Open.”

Alek Minassian, the Toronto van attack suspect, praised “Incel” killer. BBC

Psychologists explain why you should be friends with people who swear a lot. We’re more fucking honest and intelligent 🙂 Rachel-Lee Thomas for Providr.

Do essential oils work? And why? (I guess that second question gives away the answer to the first …) SciShow

 

Can exercise treat depression? SciShow Psych

 

Scientists may have discovered the root cause of autism (and no, it’s not vaccines). Let’s first seek to understand ASD before we attempt to eradicate it. IFLS

Sara Burrows explains how one Texas school beat ADHD by tripling recess. Return to Now

Nina Strochlic reveals the race to save the world’s disappearing languages. National Geographic

Going grey the right way: everything you need to know about grey hair. Katie Martin for HealthyWay.

Nadia Drake: how 1.7 billion stars were mapped with dazzling 3-D precision. National Geographic

Alfredo Carpineti: Study reveals Uranus smells of farts. IFLS

Baby elephant chases the birds, falls, and runs to mom.

 

I hope something in this mix inspired you (or at least entertained you).

Be well until this weekend’s next chapter update.

thoughtythursday2016

Thoughty Thursday: Things that made me go hmmmm on the interwebz, April 15-21, 2018

/ Melanie Marttila

Here are a few items to get your mental corn popping.

Cara Giaimo shares everything we know about birds that glow. Atlas Obscura

The Los Angeles Times editorial board says it’s time to phase out all single-use plastics.

David Costanza begs, can we please stop talking about generations as if they’re a thing? Slate

I didn’t know where to put this, really. Megan Senseney reviews the history of the spite house. Seems like an expensive way to get revenge to me. Urbo

Steven Silver offers an Apple crime roundup. Find out, among other things, how an Apple watch helped solve a murder. Writer fuel? You betcha! Apple Insider

Clive Irving lauds how veteran fighter pilot Tammy Jo Shults saved crippled Southwest flight 1380. The Daily Beast

Kyra Gaunt: how the jump rope got its rhythm. TED Talks

Artful science: Imogen Heap sings salt shapes.

 

And check out this beautiful moon Saturn occultation.

 

Inverse: Your Brain on Social Media. It’s not all bad …

 

Watch out, Grumpy Cat. Loki’s here to steal your throne. Vaiva Vareikaite for Bored Panda.

I hope you got some great ideas from this week’s batch of thought 🙂

Be well until next Tipsday!

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Join me at DIY MFA for my latest column

/ Melanie Marttila

This time around, I’m delving into the possibilities for future space travel.

futurespacetravel

While you’re there, check out Gabriela’s resources and courses, and the work of my fellow awesome columnists!

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