Monday Cup Of Links #15 - Old Stardust, Reading Survey, and Internet Beef
Happy Monday!
My novel is finally moving again, and I’m three chapters from writing The End. And then I can switch to researching and writing India House. I’ve ordered Vikram Sampath’s book on Veer Savarkar. I’m hoping it has lots of detail and references about the era from 1905 to 1910. And, selfishly, I hope it doesn’t end up being all that I want to write.
Onto our links!
We have stardust that is older than the sun! There’s the Murchison meteorite from 1969, which is considered a wellspring of pre-solar grains - dust particles that are older than the sun. The reason this is in the news again is because scientists at the Fields museum in Chicago found a way to date the dust using Neon isotopes, and it turns out to be 5-7 billion years old! Our Sun is only 4.5 billion years old, in comparison.
I’ve been watching the series Dirty John on Netflix, and I’ve also listened to the LA Times podcast based on it. It’s about a well-to-do SoCal lady dating a man who isn’t who he claims to be, and things take crazy turns. I found this piece by a PI talking about how to protect yourself from a Dirty John.
ICYMI: Thanks for answering the survey about reading habits! I summed up the results on Thursday, and it was interesting to say the least. I learned that books are still very much the center of consuming stories for most people, which is encouraging as a writer.
I watched Selma when it came out (and several times after), and every watch has made a big impact on me. I urge you to watch this important movie if you haven’t already. If there’s a battle you’re fighting, internally or externally, this movie, and MLK Jr’s life is a great source of inspiration to help you fight the good fight.
If you’re tired of the nature of discourse on Twitter, or just fascinated by it, spend some time reading The Internet Of Beefs.The author analyzes how the outrage cycle just perpetuates itself on social media, and it hits all the buttons that annoy me.
GIF of the week: Penny Farthing bike race in 1928.