Thoughty Thursday: Things that made me go hmmmm on the interwebz, Jan 3-9, 2016

January 14, 2016January 14, 2016 / Melanie Marttila / 1 Comment

Aaaannnd, we’re back 🙂

This is cool: National Park passes will be free in honour of Canada’s 150th birthday 🙂 The Edmonton Journal.

And this is weird: Dr. Michael Persinger has been banned from teaching the Introduction to Psychology course. CBC.

Linda Carroll is a life coach who has panic attacks. Here’s what she wishes more people knew. Body Mind Green.

Fifteen things you should know about people who have concealed anxiety. Thought Catalog.

Sleeping with weighted blankets helps insomnia and anxiety. Life Hack.

Is depression a kind of allergic reaction? Caroline Williams for The Guardian.

How to help someone with depression. Ink and Feet.

Clara Hughes opens up about Olympic success and her struggle with depression. CBC.

Some antidepressants cause weight gain, and not a little weight, either. Read this article about Amy Willans’ battle against hunger and fat shaming. The Globe and Mail.

Former neurosurgeon (and writer friend), Swati Chavda, shares her experience with burnout.

They say you have to get out of your comfort zone. Here’s why: Sixteen uncomfortable feelings that mean you’re on the right path. The Unbounded Spirit.

The myth of learning styles persists (and is still being taught). Quartz.

Neanderthal DNA helps resist disease, but gives you allergies. Yay? The LA Times.

The seventh row of the periodic table is completed with the discovery of four new elements. IFLS.

No, Apophis still won’t hit Earth in 2036. Phil Plait, Bad Astronomer, for Slate.

When worlds elide. Phil Plait. Slate.

The Dawn spacecraft gets up close and personal with Ceres. Phil Plait. Slate.

IFLS offers their guide to the best meteor showers of 2016.

Richard Feynman: Why science enhances the appreciation of beauty.

Artist creates an awesome image of the universe. IFLS.

Koko is one smart gorilla. IFLS.

This snowy owl is photogenic. CBC.

Michio Kaku and Noam Chomsky pwn conspiracy theorists. Open Culture.

And that was Thoughty Thursday, folks. See you Saturday!

Thoughty Thursday

Thoughty Thursday: Things that made me go hmmmm on the interwebz, Dec 27, 2015-Jan 2, 2016

January 7, 2016January 7, 2016 / Melanie Marttila / 2 Comments

Just a wee bit of thoughty today. Guess I wasn’t quite ready to let go of the holidays 😦

The weird science hidden in Canadian money:

Visit the subterranean cisterns of Victorian England. Beautiful abandoned places. Atlas Obscura.

Perihelion 2016. Phil Plait, Bad Astronomer, for Slate.

Researchers create a genetic map of the British Isles. Absolutely fascinating. Medievalists.

Holy calamari! This giant squid (just a baby at 12 feet) hung around for a photo op in Japan. The Washington Post.

The tiny hydra may be immortal. Live Science.

I hope there’s something in there that will tickle your fancy.

See you on the weekend!

Thoughty Thursday

Thoughty Thursday: Things that made me go hmmmm on the interwebz, Dec 20-26, 2015

December 31, 2015December 31, 2015 / Melanie Marttila / 2 Comments

Here’s to having a Thoughty New Year!

Cameron Diaz sums up the meaning of happiness. The Huffington Post.

Lauren Alix Brown: In your 30s, you’ll discover that happiness is just persistence and sheer will. Quartz.

Yvette Cooper says that online sexism is so out of control we can no longer control it. The Guardian.

It was the winter solstice last week, and Newgrange is one of the most magical places in the world to experience it. Irish Central.

Phil Plait got in on the solstice action, too. Slate.

Is your brain a computer, or is it a quantum orchestra, tuned to the universe? Interalia Magazine

So, Space-X launched its latest Falcon 9 rocket last Sunday night. And guess what? They stuck the landing 🙂 Both events were reported by Phil Plait, Bad Astronomer, for Slate.

No, this asteroid that passed by Earth on Christmas Eve did not cause earthquakes . . . Slate.

Pluto’s moon in near-perfect alignment. Space.com.

These are cool: sky wolves. I don’t care if they’re Photoshopped. They’re awesome. The White Wolf Pack.

Take a visual tour of New York’s most beautiful subway station, abandoned since 1945. Hyperallergic.

China’s ghost cities: the largest urbanization movement in the world. CBC’s The Current.

This 800 year old Icelandic hymn is pretty damned special. Pulptastic.

I haz a want. Samurai hoodies 🙂 Rocket News 24.

More evidence of the cleverness of crows from Phys.org.

So they built this hotel over an elephant migration route . . . Mental Floss.

David Wong shares the real meaning of Christmas that everyone forgets. Cracked.

Have a great time tonight and celebrate with the ones you love.

The future is yours to make. Make the most of it!

Thoughty Thursday

Thoughty Thursday: Things that made me go hmmmm on the interwebz, December 13-19, 2015

December 24, 2015December 24, 2015 / Melanie Marttila / 2 Comments

And here we are on Christmas Eve. Got some presies for ya 🙂

Try vayaan mudra to empower your nervous system. Yoganonymous.

Last week, I shared spoken word poet’s take on depression. This week, Upworthy shares another great spoken word poet who uses a haunted house as a metaphor for her anxiety.

Here’s an important message from the universal daughter. #deardaddy

What happened when the UN sent three foreign women to assess gender equality in the United States. The Huffington Post.

Dave Sandford wades into Lake Eerie to take these amazing pictures. Buzzfeed.

Watch the northern lights over Murmansk, Russia.

A drone captures images of underwater petroglyphs in Lake St. Nelson, BC (I’ve been told it’s a fair distance from Vancouver). Ancient Colony.

Science Alert reports that this stem cell treatment halts MS progression in 91% of patients.

Week before last, I transcribed my notes of Nina Munteanu’s workshop on ecology and story, including extremophiles and quasi-extremophiles like tardigrades. So when I came across this Buzzfeed post, I thought: Strange, but totally amusing. The Disney Princesses as tardigrades.

It’s official! Voyager I is now in interstellar space. Universe Today.

Phil Plait shares a gorgeous photo of Earthrise. Slate.

How December 25th became the day we celebrate Christmas. Bible History Daily.

Have a happy holiday, whatever you celebrate.

Peace and love unto you and yours.

Thoughty Thursday

Thoughty Thursday: Things that made me go hmmmm on the interwebz, December 6-12, 2015

December 17, 2015December 17, 2015 / Melanie Marttila / 2 Comments

Here is your Thoughty for the week.

Colin Gautrey writes about women and bullying for Learn to Influence.

48 things women hear in a lifetime that men don’t:

The Ross Spiral Curriculum. This is kind of mind-blowing.

Emily Hill explores the world of Maori tattooing, or moko, for Wanderlust.

John Hooper unravels the history of the Etruscans for The Guardian.

Phil Plait shares his video of the moon occulting Venus on Slate. Beautiful.

Watch whales swim under the northern lights on NBC News.

Ethnobeat Irkusk percussion groups plays the Baikal Ice.

Story Travelers take a road trip across the UNESCO world heritage sites of Ireland.

Disturbed covers Simon and Garfunkel’s “The Sound of Silence.” Shivers. Rock ‘n’ Roll World Magazine.

It’s kawaii time!

Animals who think they’re puppies:

Hope you enjoyed your edutainment!

See you Saturday for more CanCon 2015 reportage 🙂

Thoughty Thursday

Thoughty Thursday: Things that made me go hmmmm on the interwebz, Nov 29-Dec 5, 2015

December 10, 2015December 11, 2015 / Melanie Marttila / 2 Comments

What you should do in an active shooter situation. I can’t believe we need posts like this, but an ex-pat friend confesses she’s already had active shooter drills at her workplace. The Art of Manliness.

Will Canada be able to resolve the problems of its First Nations as quickly as it’s providing homes for Syrian refugees? It’s a valid question. The Globe and Mail.

Not everything happens for a reason. Bright Side.

The Unbound Spirit offers thirteen things you need to remember if you love a person who suffers from anxiety.

The decline of play can result in the increase in children’s mental disorders. Psychology Today.

This special agent crow proves he’s more than a bird brain. Daily Megabyte.

Brainpickings shares The Silent Friends, a lovely short film about our abiding bond with trees.

Canadian home care is suffering, but what about its patients? The Globe and Mail.

Lovely photograph of a lazy fox. Joop Snijder.

The Budweiser 2015 Superbowl ad, lost dog. The feels.

Phil Plait shares the latest Pluto images on Slate.

Preservationists fight to save forgotten French castle. You know how I like abandoned places 🙂 Wimp.

The last of the granny witches. Appalachian Ink.

The spirit of Mother Christmas. Gather.

Mog’s Christmas Calamity is adorable. Metro.

A Christmas classic:

You, me, Saturday. Let the CanCon 2015 reportage begin!

Thoughty Thursday

Thoughty Thursday: Things that made me go hmmmm on the interwebz, Nov 22-28, 2015

December 3, 2015December 11, 2015 / Melanie Marttila

Not gonna give you my NaNo update this Thursday. You’re going to have to wait until Sunday and my epic Next Chapter update (October and NaNoWriMo). Also, I’m writing the draft through to the end, using my momentum to put this one to rest before the end of the year!

Andrew Rosenthal of The New York Times muses on fear and the high cost of terror.

As a final ‘f-you,’ the failing Harper government made 49 patronage appointments. iPolitics.

On that topic, here’s an infographic on logical fallacies.

Anna Lovind explores the roles we play and the freedom that hides behind them.

Arthur C. Brooks advises us to choose gratitude because it will make us happier. The New York Times.

If you get a PhD in Canada, don’t expect an income commensurate with your investment. In other words, you work for the passion, which, for many, is compensation enough. The Globe and Mail.

There’s a wrinkle in the frontal lobe that has been linked to hallucinations. BBC.

Scientists report that people who talk to themselves are geniuses. LifeHack.

These students planted 800 year old seeds and recovered an extinct variety of squash. Wimp.

The US Government is retiring all research chimpanzees. IFLS.

Michio Kaku wonders if déjà vu is caused by parallel universes. Open Culture.

Phil Plait celebrates two scientific anniversaries. Slate.

David Tennant celebrates 100 years of general relativity. Gizmodo.

Earthables shares 16 examples of fairytale architecture in Norway.

A neuroscientist-artist creates dazzling images of the brain. Live Science.

Take a look at this beautiful kinetic horse sculpture. Make.

Lightning at 7200 frames per second (FPS) is AMAZING. Emphasis on the ZING!

After six years and 720,000 attempts, this photographer captures the perfect kingfisher dive. Bored Panda.

Making art with fire:

Mashable presents this photo-essay on the North American Indian, 1904-1924.

Teddy Girls, the fashion subculture that time forgot. AnOther.

And yes, you read that right at the top of this post. Now that NaNo is over, I’m returning to Saturday posting 🙂 First is Next Chapter, which will be up Sunday instead of Saturday because of a family function this week. Then, I’m rewinding to CanCon 2015 and I’ll be sharing those posts into next year!

Lot’s of Writerly Goodness coming your way.

See you soon.

Thoughty Thursday

Thoughty Thursday: Things that made me go hmmmm on the interwebz, Nov 15-21, 2015

November 26, 2015November 26, 2015 / Melanie Marttila / 1 Comment

This week’s NaNoWriMo update: 50,112 words. Yup, technically, I’ve won, but I’m going to keep going until the end of the month. Possibly beyond. I’m only on chapter 29 of 36 after all. =:D

Sweden vows to become one of the first fossil-fuel free nations. Collective Evolution.

Can drinking more be healthy? Pacific Standard. Now I think we have to look at factors outside alcohol consumption to get the whole picture, but I’ll leave it to you to figure out where you stand on the issue.

The Psychiatric Times revisits Robin Williams’ suicide.

Art heals. The Telegraph.

Teen wins $400,000 for his video explaining Einstein’s Special Theory of Relativity. Motherboard.

Upworthy lists fifteen badass women of World War II. Thinking thoughts? I am!

Puppies learning to howl (we called it doing the O’s):