Top 10 Tuesday: Google Time

March 5: Weird or Funny Things I’ve Googled Thanks to a Book (Submitted by Astilbe @ Long and Short Reviews)

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.

That Artsy Reader Girl

1

BDSM – yes, I had to look this up to remember exactly what the acronym stood for; I knew in general, but 🤷🏻‍♀️. And just so you don’t have to google it: Bondage, Discipline, Sadism, Masochism.

Book: Hurt for Me by Heather Levy

2

The African Society – The African Society, a group based in the town of San Bernardino and capitalized at $10,000, according to the San Francisco Chronicle, had been created to colonize the Southern California area.

book: Lone Women by Victor LaValle

“after 1866, the African Society put out a call to “colonize” Southern California.”

3

yellowface – Yellowface is the practice of non-Asian actors playing characters from Asia or of Asian descent. It is closely related to other cross-racial performances such as brownface, redface, and blackface.

book: Yellowface by R.F. Kuang

4

Aegagropila linnaei – Marimo is a rare growth form of Aegagropila linnaei in which the algae grow into large green balls with a velvety appearance. The species can be found in a number of lakes and rivers in Japan and Northern Europe.

book: MARiiMO by Tyrel Pinnegar

5

Melungeon – Demon Copperhead’s dad’s ethnicity – “the dark skin and light-green eyes of a Melungeon” –  European, Native American, and African ancestry – a tri-racial ethnic group known as the “Lost Tribe of Appalachia.

book: Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver

6

RTGs – Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generators – provide electrical power using heat from the natural radioactive decay of plutonium-238, in the form of plutonium oxide. The large difference in temperature between this hot fuel and the cold environment of space is applied across special solid-state metallic junctions called thermocouples, which generates an electrical current using no moving parts.

book: The Martian by Andy Weir

As long ago as the 1960s, NASA began using RTGs to power unmanned probes. They have lots of advantages over solar power.

the martian

7

Were there really Poppy Wars? – the conflict in the novel is based on the Second Sino-Japanese War, and an atmosphere inspired by the Song dynasty: fought between the Republic of China and the Empire of Japan from 1937 to 1945 as part of World War II. It is often regarded as the beginning of World War II in Asia.

book: The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang

For some reason, I thought the events of the book were taking place in the 1300s.

8

Are giant Pacific octopuses intelligent? – Octopuses are ranked as the most intelligent invertebrates. … have demonstrated the ability to recognize humans with whom they frequently come in contact … They have the ability to solve simple puzzles, open childproof bottles, and use tools.

book: Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt

9 & 10

9. Is the Petrova line real? – thankfully, no.

book: Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir

“JAXA took a good long look at the Petrova line and they say it’s getting brighter at the same rate that the sun is getting dimmer. Somehow or another, whatever it is, the Petrova line is stealing energy from the sun.”

Project Hail mary

10. What about Astrophage, is that real? – Also, no.

Just like a horse is more energy efficient than a truck, Astrophage is more energy efficient than a spaceship.

project hail mary

Thoughts