Ideas, Laughter, and Memes

I ramble on about getting ideas over at Mad Genius Club today.

I've been reading the creator of XKCD's book recently. What If? by Randall Monroe, who also writes the witty and funny webcomic.  It's non-fiction (well, sort of), it's in short segments with comics inserted frequently, which makes it easy to read when I have a minute or two. Only probably not in public, as I find myself laughing out loud. At least twice I have laughed so hard I cried, and couldn't stop giggling for several minutes. If you're at all scientifically inclined, have blue moments where you just want a pick-me-up, this is the perfect cure.

Having a bad day? Read a question or two from this book and I am sure you will feel better. Yes, it's expensive to buy, but it's almost a month's worth of KULL, and that lets you borrow up to ten books at a time.

We've all seen silly internet Memes, being shared and going viral. Some people actually believe what they say. Others, while seemingly innocent, build on unconscious assumptions and reinforce core beliefs that might not be accurate. Ori Pomerantz has put out a short, fun read exploring the whys and hows of internet memes, and it's a good way to challenge yourself into thinking before you click share. Lying With Memes is worth the purchase, and possibly even giving a few copies to friends who are guilty of not looking before they click and support nonsense. Pomerantz's book is delightfully non-political, but another exploration that is much more politically minded is this blog about thinking in bumperstickers.