Head Garden: A Lyrical Animated Film by Lilli Carré

I’ve been a longtime admirer of Chicago-based artist Lilli Carré’s tender illustration and clever comics, but only recently came across her film Head Garden — a lyrical, surreal, mesmerizing exegesis of what it’s like to lose your head.

Heads or Tails (public library), a sublime collection of Carré’s short story comics from the past five years, was published last November and is an absolute treat:

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The Science of Why We Are All Female, Animated

Why males have nipples, or what a zipper has to do with the distinction between male and female genitalia.

On the heels of this week’s launch of my yearlong project celebrating history’s trailblazing women and this recent meditation on how to be a woman comes this illustrated scientific explanation of why we all begin our lives as females, biologically speaking.

AsapSCIENCE have previously covered the science of productivity, what alcohol does to your brain, why we blush, the science of lucid dreaming, how music enchants the brain, and the neurobiology of orgasms.

Donating = Loving

In 2012, bringing you (ad-free) Brain Pickings took more than 5,000 hours. If you found any joy and stimulation here this year, please consider becoming a Member and supporting with a recurring monthly donation of your choosing, between a cup of coffee and a fancy dinner:

♥ $10 / month ♥ $3 / month ♥ $25 / month ♥ $50 / month ♥ $100 / month

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Brain Pickings has a free weekly newsletter and people say it’s cool. It comes out on Sundays and offers the week’s best articles. Here’s what to expect. Like? Sign up.

The Science of Productivity, Animated

“Studies have found that the most elite violinists in the world generally follow a 90-minute work regime, with a 15- to 20-minute break afterwards.”

After their illustrated primer on the science of procrastination, the fine folks of AsapSCIENCE are back with a look at the science of productivity — including studies confirming that willpower is an exhaustible source and habit is the key to everything, and specific, actionable strategies for boosting your own efficiency, like crafting a good daily routine and keeping a notebook.

Shockingly, when we look at some of the most elite musicians in the world, we find that they aren’t necessarily practicing more but, instead, more deliberately. This is because they spend more time focused on the hardest task and focus their energy in packets — instead of diluting their energy over the entire day, they have periods of intense work, followed by breaks. Not relying on willpower, they rely on habit and discipline scheduling. Studies have found that the most elite violinists in the world generally follow a 90-minute work regime, with a 15- to 20-minute break afterwards.

Previous episodes have covered such scientific curiosities as what alcohol does to your brain, the science of lucid dreaming, how music enchants the brain, and the neurobiology of orgasms.

Donating = Loving

In 2012, bringing you (ad-free) Brain Pickings took more than 5,000 hours. If you found any joy and stimulation here this year, please consider becoming a Member and supporting with a recurring monthly donation of your choosing, between a cup of coffee and a fancy dinner:

♥ $10 / month ♥ $3 / month ♥ $25 / month ♥ $50 / month ♥ $100 / month

You can also become a one-time patron with a single donation in any amount:

Brain Pickings has a free weekly newsletter and people say it’s cool. It comes out on Sundays and offers the week’s best articles. Here’s what to expect. Like? Sign up.