Twitter isn’t just a time-waster. You can learn a lot, too.
Credit: Amanda Art/METRO
Spending lots of time on Twitter? You might as well learn something. Here are some of the smartest accounts to follow:
1. Neil deGrasse Tyson (@neiltyson)
The astrophysicist, author and host of “Cosmos” makes science fun.
Evidence humans are smarter than cats: We don’t chase dots on the floor made by lasers.
— Neil deGrasse Tyson (@neiltyson) March 23, 2014
2. Mental Floss (@Mental_Floss)
Covers everything from “How Far Does Mario Have to Run (and Swim) in Super Mario Bros.?” to “8 Memorable Rejection Letters” to “20 Things You Might Not Know About ‘The Golden Girls'”
15 Ways to Cure Hiccups — http://t.co/ipSDewlX9z
— Mental Floss (@mental_floss) April 16, 2014
3. TEDTalks (@TEDTalks) The TED lecture series bills itself as “ideas worth spreading.” Started as a conference on Technology, Entertainment and Design, it’s also become a global forum of independently organized events around the world, TEDx.
“Lying is a cooperative act. Its power emerges when someone else agrees to believe the lie.” http://t.co/OM6HTcYrjL — TED Talks (@TEDTalks) April 18, 2014
4. Mashable (@Mashable) News you can use, from current events to pop culture to the latest in technology.
“I have a bad feeling about this” is said in every ‘Star Wars’ movie. http://t.co/w2mPukMNUt #5facts — Mashable (@mashable) April 18, 2014
5. Michael Beschloss (@BeschlossDC) Beschloss, a presidential historian and author, posts some of history’s most-iconic photos – and others that are rarely seen.
Here declaration by Albert Einstein (who died today 1955) of intention to become a US citizen, 1936: #NARA pic.twitter.com/2m6Q29392P
— Michael Beschloss (@BeschlossDC) April 18, 2014
6. UberFacts (@UberFacts)
A great Twitter bio: “The most unimportant things you’ll never need to know.”
Watching a horror movie can burn up to 200 calories – The same as walking for half an hour.
— UberFacts (@UberFacts) April 18, 2014
7. Maria Popova (@brainpicker) Maria Popova edits the blog Brain Pickings, covering current events, culture, history, and more.
Genius: From James Joyce to Maurice Sendak, meals from beloved books, cooked and photographed http://t.co/X0y6tbG1Rk pic.twitter.com/jawoAuJwuA — Maria Popova (@brainpicker) April 16, 2014
8. Fact Book (@FactBoook) They say it themselves: “It’s impossible to read these tweets and not learn something new.” Note the three Os in “book.”
Research has shown that if a man avoids eating red meats, it improves the sex appeal of his body odor. — Fact Book (@FactBoook) April 17, 2014
9. NASA (@NASA) Sometimes, it really IS rocket science.
An Earth-like planet? @NASAKepler found its 1st Earth-size planet in the habitable zone! http://t.co/tDAxyC6oyv pic.twitter.com/RTw65Qy9Ef
— NASA (@NASA) April 17, 2014
10. Longreads (@Longreads)
A collection of the “best storytelling on the web.”
Why Soda First Became Popular: It Wasn’t Just the Cocaine http://t.co/tUqV2H5FUm #quotes
— Longreads (@Longreads) April 12, 2014
And remember to follow Metro — @MetroNewYork, @MetroBOS, and @MetroPhilly. Get updates from all of our reporters, editors, and columnists by subscribing to this list.
Amanda Art is Metro’s social media manager. Follow her on Twitter at @NYNewsgirl.
