Research

Thoughty Thursday: Popping your mental corn, June 26-July 2, 2022

/ Melanie Marttila

I’m hoping the early days of summer have been kind to you. Now refresh your brain and get that mental corn popping 🙂

Ashawnta Jackson: race, rock, and breaking barriers. JSTOR Daily

Beth Silvers and Sarah Stewart Holland (of the Pantsuit Politics Podcast) declare that even though Roe is gone. We have to keep fighting. Marie Claire

Roe vs. Wade: law professors break down what happened. The Problem with Jon Stewart

Andréa Becker: as anti-abortion laws pop up across the US, Mexican activists are helping Americans access free abortions. Insider

What does Dirty Dancing have to do with abortion? (A lot, it turns out.) PBS Origins

Yuliya Talmazan, Phil McCausland, and Artem Grudinin report that Russian missile strike hits shopping mall with more than 1,000 people inside, Ukraine says. NBC News

Ukraine secures release of 144 soldiers in biggest prisoner swap of war. Reuters

Amanda Macias: NATO reaches a deal with Turkey to admit Sweden and Finland, secretary-general says. CNBC

Guy Kawasaki interviews Margaret O’Mara about what we can learn from history. The Remarkable People Podcast

Sabrina read 700 years of history to fix her glasses. Answer in Progress

Allie Volpe says emotional exhaustion is real, but your friendships don’t need to suffer. Vox

Clark Quinn: LXD by design. Learnlets

Heidi Ulrichsen: Sudbury arts community gathers for frank talk on STC-YES Theatre merger. Sudbury.com

Related: Mia Jensen reports that theatre board faces criticism over merger. The Sudbury Star

Diana stays overnight in the most remote camp in the world. Physics Girl

Jacqueline Kilikita: here’s the problem with “reef safe” sunscreen. Refinery 29

Annie Proulx thinks swamps can protect us from climate change, if only we let them. The New Yorker

Kieran Mulvaney explains what a carbon footprint is, and how you can measure yours. National Geographic

George Monbiot says there’s a simple way to unite everyone behind climate justice—and it’s within our power. The Guardian

True facts—the beaver. Ze Frank

An eagle snatched a baby hawk … and ended up adopting it. CBC’s “As it happens”

Thanks for stopping by, 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: Popping your mental corn, June 19-25, 2022

/ Melanie Marttila

It’s the last thoughty Thursday of June! Early happy Canada Day to my Canadian friends and early happy Independence Day to my friends south of the border.

Mon M: the Uvalde shooting is just the latest example of why we need abolition. Prism

Jia Tolentino says America’s not going back to the time before Roe. We’re going somewhere worse. The New Yorker

Vanessa Taylor explains why Muslim teens love surveillance memes. Teen Vogue

Max Hunder and Tom Balmforth: Ukraine to withdraw from Sievierodonetsk as Russia closes in. Reuters

Laurentian gets court approval to sell the Art Gallery of Sudbury. They haven’t said what they’re doing with the art collection. Yet. CBC

Frances Solá-Santiago wonders what’s really behind TikTok’s “weird girl aesthetic”? Refinery 29

Why you can’t smell yourself (and other ways your senses lie to you). Be Smart

Clark Quinn is all about reality checks. Learnlets

Danielle D. King and Megan R. McSpedon explain what leaders get wrong about resilience. Harvard Business Review

Guy Kawasaki interviews Gloria Romero, former senator, author, and feminist. The Remarkable People Podcast

Rina Torchinsky says, get your binoculars: five planets are lined up nicely for you to see at dawn this month. NPR

“Do fabulous science”: Jane Rigby. SciShow Space

Robert Lea: fastest nova ever seen “rings” like a bell thanks to feeding white dwarf. Space.com

Nina Lakhani introduces us to the farmers restoring Hawaii’s ancient food forests that once fed an island. The Guardian

Olivia Box spotlights improving communications around climate change. JSTOR Daily

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

This weekend, I hope to post my June next chapter update (we’ll see how that works out).

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

Thoughty Thursday: Popping your mental corn, June 12-18, 2022

/ Melanie Marttila

It’s thoughty Thursday, and you know what that means. It’s time to get your mental corn popping!

Guy Kawasaki interviews John Biewen, author, journalist, and documentarian, about the origins of racism. The Remarkable People Podcast

Jon talks with Isabel Wilkerson about white resentment. The Problem with Jon Stewart

Jazmin Graves Eyssallenne introduces us to Mumbai, where Indian Ocean diasporas and cosmopolitanisms meet. JSTOR Daily

Hans van der Burchard, Clea Caulcutt, Christopher Miller, and Jules Darmanin: Germany, France, and Italy back EU candidate status for Ukraine. Politico

Danica Kirka: UK cancels first flight deporting asylum-seekers to Rwanda. Associated Press

Marie Woolf reports that the “Whiskey War” between Canada and Denmark over tiny arctic island ends peacefully with deal. CTV News

Cameron Mclean reports that retired priest, 92, charged after decade-long investigation into residential school sexual assault. CBC

Peggy Lam reveals that specialized clinics to treat long covid are in demand, and physicians say they can’t keep up. CBC

Jessica Stilllman suggests you try this magic two-minute, research-backed trick for a better night’s sleep. Inc.

Romano Santos wonders, are you sleeping properly? Vice

Emily Graslie explains how shoulders took over the world. SciShow

Jessica Thiefels shares everything you need to be happier, according to science. Fast Company

Clark Quinn: critical instructional design (ID)/learning experience design (LXD) differences? Learnlets

Rachel Triesman advises the best way to was the Strawberry Full Moon (on June 14th). NPR

Marcia Dunn reports that NASA launches study of UFOs despite “reputational risk.” Associated Press

Diana introduces us to a new phase of matter: 4th dimensional time crystals. Physics Girl

Olivia Box: turf algae and kelp forests. JSTOR Daily

Katie Hunt explains why cats go crazy for catnip. CNN

Thank you for spending some time with me. 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: Popping your mental corn, June 5-11, 2022

/ Melanie Marttila

Happy Friday eve! Prepare yourself for the final push to the weekend by getting your mental corn popping!

John Flesher and Ed White report that Michigan officer charged with murder in Patrick Lyoya shooting. Associated Press

Livia Gershon reveals the unbearable middle passage. On the melancholy of the enslaved. JSTOR Daily

Billy McEntee lists 15 essential plays, books, and movies for understanding the history or queer liberation. them

Lexi McMenamin: the Johnny Depp Amber Heard verdict doesn’t matter after the internet made a spectacle of abuse. Teen Vogue

Dareh Gregorian and Kaitlyn Francis report on Uvalde native Matthew McConaughey’s plea for gun control: “Make these lives matter.” NBC News

Muizz Akhtar wonders what would it mean to treat guns the way we treat cars? Vox

Arash Javanbakht explains how mass shootings affect our brains, even if we aren’t directly harmed. Fast Company

Dave Davies: historian Carol Anderson uncovers the racist roots of the 2nd amendment. NPR

John Leicester reports that Russia hits Kyiv with missiles; Putin warns West on arms. Associated Press

Matthew Wills recounts the long history of same-sex marriage. JSTOR Daily

Harmeet Kaur announces that a newly issued US quarter celebrates Cherokee leader Wilma Mankiller. CNN

Ashley Andreou considers antifatness in the surgical setting. Scientific American

Is that a cold or are your organs flipped? SciShow

Adela Suliman and Ellen Francis: “needle spiking” fears rise in Europe, but crime is “really difficult” to trace. The Washington Post

Shauneen Miranda reports that the EU will soon require all cell phones to have the same charging port. NPR

Peter Keating: the Stanford lab startup that found a constructive way to capture carbon. Inc.

Adam Vaughan: climate change means people are losing 44 hours of sleep a year. New Scientist

Kieran Mulvaney reveals that humpback whales face major setback from climate change. National Geographic

Livia Gershon explains how street dogs spend their days. JSTOR Daily

Thank for spending some time with me. 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: Popping your mental corn, May 29-June 4, 2022

/ Melanie Marttila

It’s time to get your mental corn popping!

Kelly Hayes: hope is not a given. We must cultivate it together. Truthout

Patrick Washington says that white supremacy is America’s love language. Word in Black

Ashawnta Jackson explains how Black radio changed the dial. JSTOR Daily

Ali Breland unpacks mass shootings and our never ending doomcycle. Mother Jones

A message from the Future II: The Years of Repair. The Intercept

100 days of war in Ukraine: a timeline. France 24

Andrea Woo and Marcus Gee report that BC to decriminalize possession of small amounts of “hard” drugs, like cocaine, fentanyl, and heroine. The Globe and Mail

Guy Kawasaki interviews Jennifer Kerns about women’s rights. The Remarkable People Podcast

Janice Gassam Asare interviews Dr. Raquel Martin talks race-related stress and why burnout must be treated as a systemic issue. Forbes

The euphoria of Elliot Page. Esquire

Ina Fried predicts the future of the office could look like a Starbucks. Axios

Douglas Perry: clinging to an 8-hour workday? Research suggests 5 hours is better. The Seattle Times

Clark Quinn recommends that instead of asking what’s in it for me, ask, what’s in it for them? Learnlets

Forgetting doesn’t reverse the learning process. Neuroscience News

Livia Gershon: scientific seances in twentieth-century Iran. JSTOR Daily

The absurd search for dark matter. Veritasium

Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne reports that a new law unchains fusion energy. Phys.org

Princeton University reveals that electrons in a crystal found to exhibit linked and knotted quantum twists. Phys.org

This machine makes hurricanes! Be Smart

Olivia Box considers the imperiled inland sea. JSTOR Daily

Craig Welch: will the oldest tree on Earth survive climate change? National Geographic

Thank you for visiting, 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: Popping your mental corn, May 22-28, 2022

/ Melanie Marttila

Welcome June, the unofficial beginning of summer (the solstice is only three weeks away …)! Celebrate by getting you mental corn popping 🙂

Brett Samuels reports that Biden to sign policing order on second anniversary of George Floyd’s death. The Hill

Anthony Conwright explains the trouble with white fragility discourse. African American Policy Forum

Seth Freed Wessler reports that Erin Edwards warned that a new grain elevator would disrupt sacred Black history. Her employer deleted her findings. ProPublica

Barbara Ransby: Black feminism insists that we not take the attack on “Roe” as an isolated issue. Truthout

Acacia Coronado and Jim Vertuno: gunman kills 19 children, 2 teachers in Texas school rampage. Associated Press

Luis Noe-Bustamante, Neil G. Ruiz, Mark Hugo Lopez, and Khadijah Edwards: about a third of Asian Americans have changed their daily routines over concerns about threats and attacks. Pew Research

John Sudworth reveals the faces from China’s Uygher detention camps. BBC

Chris Brown reports that somehow, cherished Blackfoot items ended up in Devon, England. Now, they’re heading home. CBC

Laverne Cox honoured as first transgender Barbie. BBC

Rob Picheta and Hafsa Khalil report that we’re finally learning more about long covid. CNN

Brigid Schulte says it’s not your job to fix your work stress. Slate

Clark Quinn recommends the late adopter strategy. Learnlets

Guy Kawasaki interviews Zoe Chance: writer, teacher, researcher and climate philanthropist. The Remarkable People Podcast

Ali Sundermier announces that superconducting x-ray laser reaches operating temperature colder than outer space. Phys.org

A simple but compelling question: where does the candle wax go? SciShow

Linda Geddes: scientists create tomatoes genetically edited to bolster vitamin D levels. The Guardian

Helena Horton reports that an ancient forest found at bottom of huge sinkhole in China. The Guardian

Thank you for taking the time to visit, and I hope you found something to inspire a future creative project.

I should be posting my next chapter update this weekend.

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

Thoughty Thursday: Popping your mental corn, May 15-21, 2022

/ Melanie Marttila

It’s the last thoughty Thursday of May, and your opportunity to get your mental corn popping.

Amy Forliti, Steve Karnowski, and Mohamed Ibrahim: ex-Minneapolis officer pleads guilty in George Floyd murder. Associated Press

Liz Tracey presents the Chinese Exclusion Act, annotated. JSTOR Daily

Kashmala Fida Mohatarem reports that Demi Potts soars in winning performance at one of world’s biggest powwows. CBC

Siege of Mariupol over as Russia says Ukraine’s holdout forces from the steelworks have “surrendered.” CBS News

Claire Lampen wonders which women do we choose to believe? New York Magazine

Yara Simón provides the introvert’s guide to running a business. Refinery 29

Clark Quinn explains the cognitive basis of learner experience design (LXD). Learnlets

Harold Jarche: management must move first.

Olivia Allen explains why she’s embracing her “no thoughts” era. Refinery 29

Annabel Gat and Random Rosenbohm: your life sucks, but not because of Mercury retrograde. Vice

Chelsea Papineau features stunning moon images taken in northern Ontario during the full lunar eclipse. CTV News

Rina Torchinsky reports that scientists successfully grow plants in soil from the moon. NPR

Isaac Schultz invites us to see this year’s best photos of the Milky Way. Gizmodo

Humans are still evolving. Be Smart

Bob Macdonald says seagrass is hiding a sweet, submerged, CO2 secret. CBC’s “Quirks and Quarks”

Serhii Plokhy explains why the future of power can’t be nuclear: poisoned legacy. The Guardian

Rachel Fobar: hundreds of beagles died at this breeding centre—but the US government hasn’t acted. National Geographic

Livia Gershon says dogs are the four-legged crime-fighters of Paris. JSTOR Daily

Helen Ray: pugs can’t be considered “typical dogs” because of dire health issues, study finds. CBS News

Thanks for stopping by. 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: Popping your mental corn, May 8-14, 2022

/ Melanie Marttila

Celebrate the coming of the weekend by getting you mental corn popping.

Livia Gershon considers the cosmopolitan culture of the Gullah/Geechees. JSTOR Daily

True crime and the theatre of safety. Princess Weekes

Charles Maynes and Alina Selyukh: Russia’s Victory Day celebrations take on new importance for Kremlin this year. NPR

Sylvia Hui and Aamer Madhani report that G7 leaders mark VE Day stressing unity and support for Ukraine. Associated Press

Ehsan Popalzai and Irene Nasser: Taliban decree orders women in Afghanistan to cover their faces. CNN

Libby Cathey reports that US senate republicans block bill that would codify Roe vs. Wade abortion rights. ABC News

Graham Lee Brewer: US counts Indian boarding school deaths for the first time but leaves key questions unanswered. NBC News

Hong Kong’s John Lee: ex-security chief becomes new leader. BBC

The editors curate their best articles to celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. JSTOR Daily

You don’t own your partners. The Ultimatum, love, and possession, analyzed. Khadija Mbowe

Bastian Fox Phelan says female facial hair is not uncommon. What happens when we make it visible? The Guardian

Terry Nguyen says trends are dead. Vox

Clark Quinn: gamification, or … Learnlets

Arman Khan says that work thing is probably not urgent. Vice

George Monbiot says that the secret world beneath our feet is mind-blowing—and the key to our planet’s future. The Guardian

Ellen Gutoskey lists 11 elements with names inspired by folklore and mythology. Mental Floss

The new black hole image explained by an astrophysicist. Dr. Becky

Nicole Mortillaro: astronomers reveal first image of the monster black hole at the heart of our galaxy. CBC

We may be wrong about planet formation. SciShow Space

Thank you for visiting, 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: Popping your mental corn, May 1-7, 2022

/ Melanie Marttila / 2 Comments

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

Amir Vera, Omar Jiminez, and Ashley Killough: hearing today (May 2nd) may be the last chance for the Tulsa race massacre survivors to get justice. CNN

Dorothy Berry takes a deep zoom into the 1836 broadside, “Slave Market of America.” JSTOR Daily

MN Human Rights probe finds pattern of racism in Minneapolis Police Department. MPR

America’s history of stealing vulnerable children of color. The Amber Ruffin Show

Natasha Bertrand, Katie Bo Lillis, Jennifer Hansler, Alex Marquardt, and Brad Lendon: Putin may soon officially declare war on Ukraine, US and western officials say. CNN

Luke Mogelson explains how Ukrainians saved their capital. The New Yorker

Cara Anna and Yesica Fisch: evacuations under way in Mariupol; Pelosi visits Ukraine. Associated Press

Josh Gerstein and Alexander Ward report that the US Supreme Court has voted to overturn abortion rights, draft opinion shows. Politico

Jim C. Hines shares his thoughts on blood donation and bodily autonomy.

Rae Ellen Bichell: Colorado braces to become refuge for abortion access if “Roe” weakened. NPR

A new podcast from Manitoulin Island helps teach Anishnaabemowin language. CBC

Heather Brady offers this explainer: Mexico’s Independence Day marks the beginning of a decade-long revolution (and should not be confused with Cinco de Mayo). National Geographic

Nik Wheeler: Cinco de Mayo. History

Mary Gordon: Laurentian University has an obligation to turn over gallery, artwork. The Sudbury Star

Sarah Luterman says autistic people have been excluded from advocacy conversations. Julia Bascom is changing that. 19th News

Jessica Stillman: did you really “click” with someone? A new study offers a research-backed way to tell. Inc.

Annie Lord: sometimes, a routine is just an excuse to stop taking chances. Vogue

Mental health at work: it’s (finally) time to talk about it. Fast Company

Emma Hinchcliffe reports that Naomi Osaka is partnering with startup Modern Health. Fortune

Clark Quinn explains why learning and development isn’t better. Learnlets

After 15,000 years, it’s waking up … Physics Girl

Emily Conover reveals how muons spill secrets about Earth’s hidden structures (and other things). Science News

Thanks for stopping by, and I hope you found 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: Popping your mental corn, April 24-30, 2022

/ Melanie Marttila

It’s almost the weekend and time to get your mental corn popping!

Michela Moscufo reports that Harvard sets up $100 million endowment for slavery reparations. Reuters

Leah Thomas interviews Rachel Cargle about Black climate optimism. Atmos

Straight Black men in drag for the sake of comedy. Khadija Mbowe

Daniel Boffey and Lorenzo Tondo: Russia accused of bombing Mariupol humanitarian corridor. The Guardian

John Henley reports that Finland and Sweden have agreed to submit NATO applications. The Guardian

Terry Nguyen says Gen Z does not dream of labor. Vox

Molly Longmans says having no filter at work is actually a good thing. Refinery 29

Seth Borenstein: ideas on mute? Study: remote meetings dampen brainstorming. Associated Press

Morgan Leonhardt says hybrid work isn’t working well for most women. Fortune

Harold Jarche: dare to un-lead.

Clark Quinn unpacks superstitions for new practitioners. Learnlets

Joe Hanson shares illusions that will make you question reality. Be Smart

Romano Santos asks, are you breathing properly? Vice

Sadhbh O’Sullivan: too many thoughts living rent-free in your head? Try mind gardening. Refinery 29

Katie Tobin says slow living is the antidote to hustle culture—if you can access it. Refinery 29

Ginny Hogan: once upon a Facebook poke. Bustle

All five building blocks from DNA and RNA found in meteorites from the US, Canada, and Australia. CBC

Why are puppy-dog eyes so irresistible? SciShow

Christina Larson reveals that your dog’s personality may have little to do with its breed. Associated Press

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

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