Quote of the day
Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts. There is something infinitely healing in the repeated refrains of nature — the assurance that dawn comes after night, and spring after winter.
~RACHEL CARSON, author of Silent Spring
CREATIVITY
Get moving to get creative, Knote | Tweet
Writer’s block? Can’t seem to come up with a solution to a persistent issue? Creative types often seek “inspiration” from a variety of sources, be it alcohol, coffee, or whatever stimulant is on hand. Scores of authors, thinkers, and musicians, from Wordsworth to Kantto Tchaikovsky, have long lauded the solitary stroll as a source of meditation and inspiration. A recent study out of Stanford University suggests that the act of walking can stimulate the mind more effectively than any other form of exercise or stimulation.
HEALTH
Understanding the new science of cholesterol [Cholesterol Down
], Science of us | Tweet
Even those of us with only the fuzziest understanding of nutritional science have managed to grasp this basic fact: cholesterol bad. More specifically, we’ve been told for decades to avoid eating foods, like eggs, that are high in cholesterol, because they’re terrible for our heart health — but that advice could soon be changing.
FOOD
The mercury level in your tuna is rising [Silent Spring
], Quartz | Tweet
Whether man-made sources of mercury are contributing to the mercury levels in open-ocean fish has been the subject of hot debate for many years.
THE MIND
Your subconscious is smarter than you think [The Power of Your Subconscious Mind]
, BBC | Tweet
We feel that we are in control when our brains figure out puzzles or read words, says Tom Stafford, but a new experiment shows just how much work is going on underneath the surface of our conscious minds.
TIME
The logic of long lines, The Atlantic | Tweet
They’re not always a waste of time—for consumers or for businesses.
PSYCHOLOGY
How one simple change can make you a better listener [Simple Tips and Techniques to Become a Better Listener
], FastCo | Tweet
It sounds easy, but it’s surprisingly hard for most of us to become a better listener, stop focusing on what you’ll say next.
SOCIAL MEDIA
Get ready for virtual reality Facebook to be a thing, Time | Tweet
Facebook is building virtual reality versions of its apps that would allow users to share their current environments with other users.
BLOGGING
Google and blogs: Shit, Marco | Tweet
Have a blog? How has your traffic been for the last year or two — say, since July 1, 2013?
WRITING
5 Amazingly simple ways to transform quite scenes into exciting scenes, Darcy Pattison | Tweet
Donald Maass, in his Writing the Breakout Novel Workbook
, repeats this signature mantra, “Tension on every page.” He points out three types of scenes that can be a trap for the lazy writer: Tea time or any time people eat together; transporting characters from one spot to another; and dialogue.
Think you wrote a great hook for your book’s beginning? Find out why it may not be enough [Structuring Your Novel
], Helping Writers Become Authors | Tweet
You know all about the hook for your book’s beginning, right? The hook is that tiny, important little bit of awe you plant in readers’ minds in the first chapter in order to hooktheir curiosity and reel them in, so they’ll keep reading