Just a little thoughty this week.
Alexandra Hansen: is it possible to catch up on sleep? Yes and no. Quartzy
What if solar energy was as easy as pressing “print”? PBS Reinventors
Mary Halton interviews Farah Alibay: when flying to Mars is your day job. BBC
Green Porno: the mantis with Isabella Rossellini (!)
True facts about the aye aye. Ze Frank
Hope something in this odd mix popped your mental corn.
Be well until the weekend and my next chapter update for August.
Thoughty Thursday is more video than not, this week. Still, let’s see if we can’t get your mental corn popping.
Annakeara Stinson says, hacks for overthinking aren’t as complex as you think. Elite Daily
Rob Harvilla eulogizes Aretha Franklin, a pop star who could make you see God. The Ringer
Chasing asteroids: dual missions sniff out clues to the solar system’s past. Eva Botkin-Kowacki for the Christian Science Monitor.
Tilly the river otter teaches her kit, Mo, how to swim. Oregon Zoo
Liz Langley wonders how jellyfish rule the seas … without brains. National Geographic
This dog LURVES the new ball-popper 🙂
True facts about the land snail. Ze Frank
And true facts about the mantis.
I hope you were edutained 🙂
Until next tipsday, be well, be kind, and stay strong. The world needs your stories!
It’s time to get your mental corn popping, that is, to present you with some interesting stuff in the hope that the resulting creative connections will lead to your next awesome project! Yup, that’s what thoughty Thursday’s all about.
Patricia Grisafi writes about the terrible “what if”: how OCD makes every day a matter of life and death. The Guardian
Brenda Knowles wonders if solitary activities are only half-fixes for anxiety and depression. Space2Live
Your brain on caffeine with Shannon Odell. Inverse
Tom Wipple: how to edit a human. On unlocking the human genome, ethics, and CRISPR. 1843
Jason Pontin discusses the genetics (and ethics) of making humans fit for Mars. Wired
Disney princesses look more like children as the years pass. It’s not accidental. It’s all about neoteny. It’s Okay to be Smart
And, for your amusement: Ze Frank’s true facts about the dung beetle.
Be well until next tipsday!
Thanks for coming back! It’s Friday eve and time to get your mental corn popping.
Anne McLaughlin reminds us that August first is Lughnassadh.
Ephrat Livni: the artful science behind the scent of bottled rain. Quartz
Brian Kahn exposes how the quietest place in America is becoming a warzone. Gizmodo
Brad Stulberg introduces us to the equation that will make us better at everything. Outside
Christa Couture hosts a summer edition of CBC’s “Tapestry”: rethinking disability.
Michael Finkel explores the amazing journey our minds go on when we sleep. National Geographic
Annaliese Griffin recommends Wednesday as the best day to take off. Quartzy
Shannon Odell: your brain on alcohol. Inverse
Natalie Wolchover: the peculiar math that could underlie the laws of nature. Wired
Nadia Drake gives us the facts on the underground lake found on Mars. National Geographic
This star might be hiding new elements. SciShow Space
Jesse Grady explains what dog and cat years really mean. Popular Science
Julija Televičiūtė brings us the story of how a puppy saved from a fire became a fire fighting dog. Bored Panda
Ze Frank: true facts about the owl. Not as hilarious as some, but still cute 🙂
Until the next time I blog, be well, be kind, and stay strong. The world needs your stories!
It’s time to pop your mental corn, get those creative connections established, and generate awesome ideas for your craft.
Brain scans show four different types of depression. Kate Horowitz for Mental Floss.
Brenda Knowles explores avoidant attachment in adult relationships: the truth behind our need to be alone. Space2Live
SciShow Space stops video production to report on the underground lake on Mars.
Linda Webster tells a dog tail: my dog is teaching me to be resilient. The Globe and Mail
Those forest fires I posted about last week? Stephanie Johnson introduces us to Shawn Rae, a fire rescuer who’s saving people’s cottages from the French River fires. Parry Sound North Star
Adele Peters: the four-day work week is good for business. Fast Company
Abby Sewell and Stephanie Gengotti invite us inside the magical life of Europe’s family circuses. National Geographic
Dave Lucas explains what it is to love an old dog. Made me weep. Literary Hub
Stephen Dowling: the complicated truth about a cat’s purr. BBC
Sadie Dingfelder tells the story of the crane who fell in love with a human. The Washington Post
Moar Ze Frank: true facts about ducks (and their spiral genitals—seriously weird shit).
Watch a black bear take a bath.
And that was your Thoughty Thursday for the week.
This weekend, I’ll be composing my next chapter update for the month of July. Come back for a visit and see what I’ve been up to.
Until then, be well!
And here we are in the land of Friday Eve. Have some thoughty to see you through to the weekend.
Ephrat Livni says, look up at the moon every night, not just when there’s a lunar eclipse. Quartz
Rhett Allain presents a comprehensive guide to the physics of running on the moon. Wired
Ryan F. Mandelbaum: cosmic ray mystery finally solved by supermassive black hole emitting ultra-high-energy cosmic rays directly at Earth. The supermassive black hole is called a blazar. So cool. Gizmodo
The Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry recommends evacuations near the French River. CTV Northern Ontario
The Parry Sound 33 forest fire grows to 1,900 hectares and jumps the Key River. The Northern Life
Eric Barker says that the secret to loving your life is … amor fati. The Week
Laura Beil: the brain may clean out Alzheimer’s plaques during sleep. Yet another reason to get a quality night’s sleep. Science News
Kate Snow and Jon Schuppe: how a small forensics company is cracking years-old cold cases. NBC News
Jennifer Dixon: dead bodies, wild dogs, and squatters in government-owned Detroit houses. USA Today
Lynn Freehill-Maye profiles Daniel Toole, who finds the untapped potential of alleys. CityLab
Ze Frank – true facts about the sea pig (from 2013, but they’re all hysterical)
And more true facts, this time about the tarsier.
Until next week, be well, be kind, and stay strong. The world needs your stories!
Happy Friday eve! Let’s get your mental corn popping so you can make it through to the weekend 🙂
Valerie Valdes turned her twitter stream into a post because we need to hear this message. And it’s not just for millennials. It applies to everyone: smart kids eventually grow up. A Candle in Sunshine
Andrew Zalesky wonders, is there any truth to anti-aging schemes? Popular Science
ASAP Science: Can loneliness kill you?
Inverse: Your brain on kittens with Shannon Odell.
SciShow Psych: Are there “male” and “female” brains?
Samanth Subramanian: the world’s top art-forgery detective explains how to spot a perfect fake. The Guardian
Sarah Scoles reports on how NASA is learning the best way to grow food in space. Popular Science
Seán Doran: Gorganum Chaos (there’s also gorganum chaos 2, if you’re interested)
Peter Gwin: the horses that changed history. The Wall Street Journal (yes, really)
Lia Eustachewich: how Koko forever changed the way we think about gorillas. It’s heartbreaking that this compassionate and independent spirit is gone. The New York Post
Ze Frank’s True Facts: The Fruit Bat. This may be an old one, but it’s still hilarious.
Florence + the Machine – Big God
I hope you enjoyed your edutainment for the week, and possibly got some inspiration for your work-in-progress.
Until next Tipsday, be well, be kind, and stay strong. The world needs your stories.
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!
I guess this is the week for controversial stuff. PEN Canada, and other charitable organizations who engage in “political” activism are now under investigation by the Canada Revenue Agency.
Here’s a post by Charity Village on the same subject.
The Winnipeg Free Press offers a list of the organizations under investigation.
It’s just disturbing to me that all of these organizations are being audited. It continues the trend of cutbacks, suppression, and outright antagonism toward the sciences, and environmental and arts organizations in this country.
That’s all I’m saying about that.
Carmine Gallo explores the science behind TED’s 18 minute presentation rule. My trainer geek emerged. This is the 90-20-10 rule. People can listen with attention for 90 minutes (think about the timing of your breaks and lunch at work). They can listen and understand for about 20 minutes. The trainer or presenter (in-person) should change things up every 10 minutes. Virtual is a whole different ball game 😉
And speaking of TED, here’s Ze Frank’s very brief, Are You Human?
Frances Caballo offers a concise, yet comprehensive guide to Twitter for writers. The Book Designer.
Elizabeth J. Griffin, MD discloses her struggle with depression and what most people don’t understand.
The relationship between creativity and mental illness, on Brainpickings.
One tree has been grafted to bear 40 different kinds of fruit. IFLS. One of my friends commented: It’s experiments like this that lead to Triffids – LOL!
National Geographic explores what animals do in wildfires.
The 100 best sci-fi movies, as chosen by critics and experts. They’re presented in alphabetical groupings and each delivers their top ten. It’s a fair amount of wading, but there are some interesting choices . . .
Balloon art. Seriously. And I can’t even make a poodle. Maybe a snake 😛
And that be it for the thoughty and fun this week.
I’ll check in again on Saturday 🙂
Always Looking Up 