SciShow Psych

Thoughty Thursday: Popping your mental corn, Oct 24-30, 2021

/ Melanie Marttila

And … this will be the last thought Thursday until December 9th! Get your mental corn popping 🙂

The media and the missing; ‘Missing White Woman Syndrome’ explained | Khadija Mbowe

Tanya Talaga reveals that Canada has not truly released all residential school records. The Globe and Mail

Martha Troian: a Cree family’s canoe is returned, after sitting in a University of Saskatchewan storage room for years. Maclean’s

Haley Ott reports that UK women are being drugged by needles in nightclubs. It’s the evolution of the roofie, folks. CBS News

Mari Yamaguchi: Japan’s Princess Mako relinquishes royal status to marry commoner. Associated Press

Public Health Sudbury and District issues covid-19 order as region becomes a hot spot. And we were doing so well … CBC

Sarah Larson reveals Brené Brown’s empire of emotion. The New Yorker

Dopamine isn’t just a happy chemical. SciShow Psych

William Deresiewicz: human history gets a rewrite. The Atlantic

GM to install 4,000 electric car charging stations across Canada. CBC

Ben Turner: scientists capture images of bizarre “electron ice” for the first time. Space.com

Tariq Malik reports that the Sun fires off major solar flare from Earth-facing sunspot. Space.com

An alternative to dark matter? SciShow Space

Jackie Wattles reveals that the alarm that went off on SpaceX’s all-tourist spaceflight was … the toilet. Toilet humour in SPACE #FTW! CNN

Olivia Box explains why the belowground ecosystem matters. JSTOR Daily

Suzanne Simard, author of Finding the Mother Tree, heads up The Mother Tree Project.

Kelli Bender reports on very good doggo Bear, who saved koalas during the Australian wildfires, and was honoured with an award. People

Mary Jo DiLonardo announces that dozens of bison released on Sioux tribal lands in South Dakota. Treehugger

Squil-le-he-le Raynell Morris and Tah-Mahs Ellie Kinley: one stolen whale, the web of life, and our collective healing. Grist

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

I’ll pop in on the weekend for my first mini-update.

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, July 11-17, 2021

/ Melanie Marttila

It’s time to get your mental corn popping! Let’s get right to it …

Ohimai Amaize unpacks the “social distance” between Africa and African Americans. JSTOR Daily

Charlottesville removes Robert E. Lee statue that sparked deadly rally. NPR

Thema Bryant-Davis and Egypt Leithman (of Pepperdine University) want to heal the wounds of racial trauma. Division 45

Allison Hopper: denial of evolution is a form of white supremacy. Scientific American

Louisiana teen, Zaila Avant-garde correctly spells “muraya” to win Scripp’s National Spelling Bee. ESPN

Zoé Samudzi is looking after (museums and human remains). Art Forum

Huu-ay-aht First Nation begin process of reclaiming cultural artefacts from Royal BC Museum. CBC

Coaches argue Laurentian’s pool must remain open: community impact will be “immense.” Sudbury.com

Could solar panels in space solve our energy needs? SciShow Space

Susan Montoya Bryan and Marcia Dunn report that billionaire Richard Branson reaches space in his own ship. Maybe reaches for space? Associated Press

Do we have more than five senses? Spoiler: hella yeah. SciShow Psych

Lauran Neergaard: device taps brainwaves to help paralyzed man communicate. Associated Press

Barrie, Ontario, devastated by tornado that left 5-kilometre path of destruction. CBC

Rescuers rush to save hundreds trapped by flooding in Europe as death toll tops 125. CBC

True facts: wild pigs (and their crazy cousins). ‘Cause fun and educational 🙂 Ze Frank

John Flesher reports that pup births a hopeful sign for Ilse Royale wolves. Associated Press

Thanks 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!

Tipsday: Writerly Goodness found on the interwebz, June 6-12, 2021

/ Melanie Marttila

Another week, another batch of informal writerly learnings 🙂 Get ‘em while they’re hot (and not too old)!

Greer Macallister wonders, can writers still be readers? Then, Jim Dempsey provides a guide to style. Kathleen McCleary says, prove it! Kathryn Craft shows you how to heighten tension with a watcher. David Corbett: on killing 22,000 darlings, part 2. Identifying the dead. Writer Unboxed

This is your brain on language. SciShow Psych

K.M. Weiland covers the flat archetype of the parent in part 18 of her archetypal character arcs series. Helping Writers Become Authors

Susan DeFreitas shares six key strategies for emotionally affecting fiction. Then, J. Michael Straczynsky explains why you can’t sell an idea. Ashleigh Renard is selling books on TikTok, no dancing (or crying) required. Jane Friedman

The lotus blossom stereotype. The Take

Jami Gold helps you avoid “talking heads” and other clichés. Then, Jessica Conoley helps you build your triangle of support with part 2: mentorship. Writers Helping Writers

Colleen M. Story lists five signs you have “writer’s DNA.”  Piper Bayard presents seven character lessons from a real-life heroine. Writers in the Storm

Yes, Virginia, the female gaze exists. The Take

Marina Barakatt examines the value of Lumberjanes. Then, Gabriela Pereira interviews Tasha Suri about crafting conflict in epic fantasy. Later in the week, Elizabeth Sumner Wafler explains how she built her side biz as an editor. Then Rebecca D’Harlingue lists five questions to ask before you write a dual timeline novel. DIY MFA

Kristine Kathryn Rusch continues her fear-based decision-making series with traditional writers.

Chris Winkle explains why we have to let go of meta mysteries. Then, Oren Ashkenazi analyzes five stories with weak stakes. Mythcreants

I tried Harley Quinn’s elevator flip (as one does). Jill Bearup

Sudbury’s Scott Overton writes about an alien artefact found in a northern Ontario lake. CBC

Mike Fleming Jr. reports that N.K. Jemisin’s Broken Earth trilogy lands at Sony TriStar in 7-figure deal; author to adapt. Deadline

Thank you for taking the time to stop by, and I hope you found something to support your current work in progress.

Until Thursday, be well and stay safe!

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, 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.

Tipsday: Writerly Goodness found on the interwebz, Feb 14-20, 2021

/ Melanie Marttila

You’ve made it through Monday. Time to reward yourself with some informal writerly learnings.

Janice Hardy explains why rescuing your protagonist might be a terrible idea. Yeah, I have this problem. Then, she lists four mistakes that doom your first page. Confession: first pages KILL me. Or maybe it’s the other way around. Later in the week, Bonnie Randall provides a cheat sheet that will help you write rich characterization. Fiction University

K.M. Weiland covers the maiden’s arc in her archetypal character arcs series, part 2. Helping Writers Become Authors

Princess Weekes: Bridgerton and the problem of pastel progressivism. Melina Pendulum

Vaughn Roycroft explains why we need tragic stories, now more than ever. Dave King is keeping it real. Later in the week, Kelsey Allagood offers the confessions of a conflict-avoidant writer. Then, Porter Anderson makes the case for kindness. Writer Unboxed

Why a bad series finale can ruin the whole show. SciShow Psych

Lori Freeland delves into backstory and how you can dodge the infodump. I’m trying to find the right balance here. Then, Barbara Linn Probst shares four of the best writing exercises EVER. Later in the week, Margie Lawson returns: hugs you’ve got to love! Writers in the Storm

The romance addict trope, explained. Love isn’t all you need. The Take

Kristina Adams explains how building your self-awareness makes you a better writer. Another issue I’m struggling with. Elizabeth Spann Craig

Christina Delay helps you identify your reader. Then, Gilbert Bassey shows you how to master the happy-sad ending. Writers Helping Writers

Princess Diana, according to The Crown. The Take

E.J. Wenstrom shares the secret formula to author newsletter joy. Later in the week, Gabriela Pereira interviews Ellie Cypher about language as world building in YA fantasy. Then, Sara Farmer interviews Kellye Garrett. DIY MFA

Fay Onyx helps you to rid your monsters of ableism. Then, Oren Ashkenazi looks at five antagonists who never stood a chance. Mythcreants

Bulletproof Monk: the worst flirty fight scene ever? Jill Bearup

Lisa Hall-Wilson asks, what’s your character’s emotional Kryptonite?

Chuck Wendig offers some gentle writing advice. Terribleminds

Alison Flood reports that after a year inside, novelists are struggling to write. Some have been struggling all along. Others haven’t. Still others have noticed a distinct lack in the quality of the work they manage to produce. The Guardian

As ever, thank you for taking the time to visit. I hope you took away 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 7-13, 2021

/ Melanie Marttila

As you prepare for the coming weekend, don’t forget to get your mental corn popping.

Laila El Mugammar announces that an emotional documentary about Canada’s legendary Black cowboy is streaming free now. Chatelaine

Samantha Kubota reports that the brand formerly known as Aunt Jemima reveals new name. NBC News

Azi Paybarah: KKK member who drove into BLM protesters gets more than three years in prison. The New York Times

Emotional intelligence, racial stereotypes, and the politics of emotional expression | Khadija Mbowe

Michele Debczak: new spacecraft named after Katherine Johnson honors the pioneering NASA mathematician. Mental Floss

How did the Milky Way get its spiral? SciShow Space

WHO says coronavirus unlikely to have leaked from Wuhan lab. CBC

Micheleen Doucleff: extraordinary patient offers surprising clues to coronavirus variants. NPR

Jaclyn Diaz reports that a second person dies of Ebola in the Congo, marking the virus’s return. NPR

Jason Slotkin: tens of thousands rally in Myanmar, protesting military coup. NPR

Eric Levenson, Stephanie Becker, and Dan Simon report that the rise in attacks on elderly Asian Americans in Bay area prompts new special response unit. CNN

Leah Brennan and Josh LaBella report that a Yale graduate student identified as the victim of Saturday’s fatal shooting in New Haven. New Haven Register

Michelle Ghoussoub announces that women’s rights activist Loujain Alhathloul released after 1,001 days in Saudi prison. CBC

Oliver Milman shares that air pollution in US subway systems stuns researchers. The Guardian

Sharon J. Riley explains how a public uprising caused a province built on fossil fuels to reverse course on coal mining. The Narwhal

Sandy Schaeffer compiles all the Joss Whedon abuse and misconduct allegations. #metoo ScreenRant

Deiter Buse: now is the time to ask what you can do for Laurentian. The Sudbury Star

Health Sciences North faces lawsuit over misread breast imaging results. CBC

Why you read slower as you age. SciShow Psych

Brenda Knowles examines imposter syndrome and how it can be a blessing in disguise. Space2Live

Stonehenge may have been first erected in Wales. Aljazeera

Listen to the sweet, soft warble common ravens sing to their partners. Audubon

Thanks for stopping by, and 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.