Free-For-All Newsletter #53

Sup, Nerds!

In case you missed the meeting last night, here's a list of some of the stories we discussed.

Enjoy! :)

Books:
The Psychopath Test

Ronson not only solves the mystery of the hoax but also discovers, disturbingly, that sometimes the personalities at the helm of the madness industry are, with their drives and obsessions, as mad in their own way as those they study. And that relatively ordinary people are, more and more, defined by their maddest edges.

How the Scots Invented the Modern World

Who formed the first literate society? Who invented our modern ideas of democracy and free-market capitalism? The Scots. As historian and author Arthur Herman reveals, in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries Scotland made crucial contributions to science, philosophy, literature, education, medicine, commerce, and politics—contributions that have formed and nurtured the modern West ever since.

The Bookish Life of Nina Hill

The only child of a single mother, Nina has her life just as she wants it: a job in a bookstore, a kick-butt trivia team, a world-class planner and a cat named Phil. It's time for Nina to come out of her comfortable shell, but she isn't convinced real life could ever live up to fiction. It's going to take a brand-new family, a persistent suitor, and the combined effects of ice cream and trivia to make her turn her own fresh page.

The Psychology of Time Travel

In 1967, four female scientists worked together to build the world’s first time machine. But just as they are about to debut their creation, one of them suffers a breakdown, putting the whole project — and future of time travel — in jeopardy. To protect their invention, one member is exiled from the team—erasing her contributions from history.

Embrace Your Weird

Whether you enjoy writing, baking, painting, podcasting, playing music, or have yet to uncover your favorite creative outlet, Embrace Your Weird will help you unlock the power of self-expression. Get motivated. Get creative. Get weird.

Videos:
Exploring the Mind of a Killer

Psychopathic killers are the basis for some must-watch TV, but what really makes them tick? Neuroscientist Jim Fallon talks about brain scans and genetic analysis that may uncover the rotten wiring in the nature (and nurture) of murderers. In a too-strange-for-fiction twist, he shares a fascinating family history that makes his work chillingly personal.

What If You Travel Back in Time and Killed Your Grandfather?

Top comment on the video: 

Grandfather: "You know, a stranger once tried to shoot me but misfired 6 times in a row." 

Me: *sweats profusely*

Hard Worldbuilding vs. Soft Worldbuilding

A Study of Studio Ghibli.

Everything is a Remix

In the five years since the series launched, Everything is a Remix has been viewed over two million times and produced a popular TED Talk. Amazingly, Remix continues to change the way people think about creativity, originality, and copyright.

That's all, folks!

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Thanks! :)

Trace Brady

Bloomington, IN, 47408
United States


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