5/14/21 Recommended Issues: Hummingbirds, Reframing, Learning Styles

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Each week we handpick newsletter issues by independent writers you may have missed that provide new or unique perspectives. 

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Here's what's worth reading this week...enjoy!

HUMMINGBIRDS

Between Science and Magic: How Hummingbirds Hover at the Edge of the Possible in Brain Pickings by Maria Popova on May 7 

If you’ve never given much thought to hummingbirds or learned much about them, this is a fascinating article which goes into some mind-blowing facts/statistics (ex: hummingbirds are the only bird that can hover!), some neat historical perceptions, and also some interesting explanations for how they were understood better as different technologies advanced. It’s worth reading for a wildly increased appreciation of a tiny little animal as well as for some great trivia facts! (1764 words; 6.5 minutes) Read it...

REFRAMING...WITH QUESTIONS

The best questions I ask myself, in The Sunday Soother by Catherine Andrews on April 26  

In this issue Catherine offers up a set of questions that she asks herself when she’s “stuck” -- it could be a sticky situation, a fearful one, a ‘hopeless’ one, etc… She makes the point that to get out of being stuck, getting a different perspective can be incredibly helpful. And, her questions help YOU to find some of those alternate perspectives on your own. When you read through the questions, you’ll see why -- and hopefully at some point, they may help you find the perspective you need. If you’re short on time, just scroll down to the questions at the bottom (577 words; 2 minutes) Read it...

LEARNING STYLE MYTH

Issue 52: The Learning Style Myth in Fab Fridays by Ana Lorena Fabrega on 4/30

Backed by research, Ana breaks down the myth that so many of us were brought up with: that you have “a” learning style. This issue will make you think about what styles you learn best in for certain types of learning-- and help you to break the mold of saying/thinking “i’m an X-type of learner” (where X could be auditory, visual, etc…). While Ana writes primarily with kids/students in mind, it’s totally applicable to all of us and will help you to reframe how you learn… (824 words; 3 minutes) Read it...

Learnings from newsletters this week:

• Researchers think it's mainly only "modern" humans that can see the color blue / distinguish it from other colors. Apparently a lot of research has been done on old texts in different languages and the color blue was only found to exist in Ancient Egypt where they'd also discovered how dye things blue.  Intriguing... Understandably 5/11

• The CDC is requiring cruise lines to run practice voyages, with volunteer passengers making up at least 10% of normal capacity -- and those volunteers (who get to go for free !!!!), must be told by the operators that "they are simulating untested safety measures ‘and that sailing during a pandemic is an inherently risky activity,'"  Quite the tradeoff. Understandably 5/7

• I guess this shouldn't be surprising, but there's an actual, medical term for having a word at the tip of your tongue that you can't quite find in your brain. If you know it already, can you remember it? :) ...  For the rest of you, the word is: lethologica. Ness Labs 5/11

• Some researchers found that kids who read Harry Potter, and identified with Harry, tended to show greater empathy towards marginalized groups afterwards... Not everyone is fully bought in that the series makes kids more empathetic, but it's interesting to think about nonetheless... Now I know 5/11

• Who knew you could do anything with16 pennies?!? ... If you put them all in a stack they equal one inch! And if you line them all up, they equal 1 foot! Now the penny is worth something to you :). Now I know 5/10

• Wrigley (which produces and markets Skittles-- and is a division of the giant candy corporation Mars, Inc) launched a multimillion-dollar lawsuit against a pot brand Zkittlez (a line of cannabis products) for copyright infringement Lessons from the Grow May 5

• "54% of San Francisco homes are in buildings that would be illegal to build today", or in other terms..."To comply with today's [zoning] laws, 130,748 homes would have to be destroyed, evicting around 310,000 people." Hrm would be great if SF could figure out a better way to do affordable housing... The Grumpy Economist Apr 5

• There is actually a place (Babyland General, in Georgia) where you can go to see Cabbage Patch Kids being "born" to a Mother Cabbage. (and, yes, there's also a Cabbage Patch Kids store attached to it)...   It's unclear if whole faux-hospital scene is creepy? Weird? Nostalgia-filled? None or all of the above?. " BNet Apr 11

• Hummingbirds are amazing: "Alone among the world’s ten thousand avian species, only those in the hummingbird family, Trochilidae, can hover in mid air. " and.... "An enormous heart constitutes up to 2.5 percent of its body weight — the largest per body weight of all vertebrates. " Wow. Maybe the Grinch should have turned into a hummingbird at the end! Brain Pickings 5/7

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~Jessica