"The Goldilocks Mission" wants to teach climate change with entertainment.
The health of our planet has been a hot topic of discussion for quite some time now. I distinctly remember when I begged my mom to buy me a new hairspray bottle because of some special I saw on MTV (or some other channel geared towards teens) declaring Aquanet enemy No. 1 of the ozone layer.
There's an entire generation of near middle-aged adults who will go into a panic if they see someone throw away a six-pack plastic ring without cutting it because one time in 1992 there was a commercial that showed how damaging they were to sea turtles. Clearly, marketing environmental concerns to adolescent-aged children is effective if you want to see an impact.
Since the late 80s and early 90s theoretically sent aerosol spray products into a free fall, the ozone layer has slowly been healing itself. Was that the doing of determined teenagers? Eh, I'd like to think our awareness of it helped to bring forth more conscious adults and scientists who worked to make changes in the future.
But we still face environmental catastrophe due to climate change, and one Canadian film producer, John Geddes, is hoping to home in on some of that 90s strategy to tackle the elephant on the planet.
Geddes formed OnTheVerge with Jeff Maher and Jackie Eddolls to address climate change using entertainment television geared toward teenagers. The group of producers is working on a new series called "The Goldilocks Mission," which follows several teens in the near future as Earth experiences devastating climate change, according to Product Dragon. But to bring in the element of science fiction, the teens must communicate with extraterrestrials who will either show them how to repair the damage or completely destroy the Earth.
Person in dark space wearing a helmet suit in the woods
Photo by Maksim Istomin on Unsplash"'The Goldilocks Mission' is an eight-part series that showcases real science on the causes and solutions of climate change," OnTheVerge told Globe and Mail. "We're creating a positive story that merges entertainment with education."
The new production group goes on to explain that they've not only partnered with young writers but have assembled an advisory board that is made up of engineers, climate scientists, youth leaders and clean energy companies. This combination of education paired with fantasy may just help build a bridge between climate change believers and climate change skeptics—at least that's what the group is hoping.
Geddes told Classical Jukebox that "The Goldilocks Mission" is currently in development and coming soon. To secure more investors in the television franchise focusing on climate change solutions, the group is hosting events where potential investors can learn more about the project. There's even a screening of a preview for the series as well as speakers and cocktails, according to their website. The next event for potential investors is May 6, in Ontario, Canada.
While it's not currently clear what impact this new series will have on the opinions and action on climate change, it's certainly a start. The mission of OnTheVerge is to provide edutainment that will leave a lasting impression on today's youth and hopefully leave the world a better place for future generations.
I Love You Elf GIF by MOODMAN
"Love you!" Oops.
Green Flag GIF by The Last Talk Show
Embarrassed Hide GIF by flor
Vincent Van Gogh's Self-Portrait, 1889Image via 
Turbulent flow illustrated and animated.
Animation of art referencing science.
Animated Starry Night
An animated depiction of The Scream.
One year of work at McDonalds grossed this worker $13,811.18.via 
A photo of a McDonald's in Hartford, CT. via
There's a reason why some people can perfectly copy accents, and others can't
Turns out, there's a neurodivergent link.
A woman in black long sleeve shirt stands in front of mirror.
Have you ever had that friend who goes on vacation for four days to London and comes back with a full-on Queen's English posh accent? "Oooh I left my brolly in the loo," they say, and you respond, "But you're from Colorado!" Well, there are reasons they (and many of us) do that, and usually it's on a pretty subconscious level.
It's called "accent mirroring," and it's actually quite common with people who are neurodivergent, particularly those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). According Neurolaunch, the self-described "Free Mental Health Library," "Accent mirroring, also known as accent adaptation or phonetic convergence, is the tendency to unconsciously adopt the accent or speech patterns of those around us. This linguistic chameleon effect is not unique to individuals with ADHD, but it appears to be more pronounced and frequent in this population."
Essentially, when people have conversations, we're constantly "scanning" for information—not just the words we're absorbing, but the inflection and tone. "When we hear an accent, our brains automatically analyze and categorize the phonetic features, prosody, and intonation patterns," writes Neurolaunch. For most, this does result in copying the accent of the person with whom we're speaking. But those with ADHD might be more sensitive to auditory cues. This, "coupled with a reduced ability to filter out or inhibit the impulse to mimic…could potentially explain the increased tendency for accent mirroring."
While the article explains further research is needed, they distinctly state that, "Accent mirroring in individuals with ADHD often manifests as an unconscious mimicry of accents in social situations. This can range from subtle shifts in pronunciation to more noticeable changes in intonation and speech rhythm. For example, a person with ADHD might find themselves unconsciously adopting a Southern drawl when conversing with someone from Texas, even if they’ve never lived in the South themselves."
People are having their say online. On the subreddit r/ADHDWomen, a thread began: "Taking on accents is an ADHD thing?" The OP shares, "My whole life, I've picked up accents. I, myself, never noticed, but everyone around me would be like, 'Why are you talking like that??' It could be after I watched a show or movie with an accent or after I've traveled somewhere with a different accent than my 'normal.'
They continue, "Apparently, I pick it up fast, but it fades out slowly. Today... I'm scrolling Instagram, I watch a reel from a comedian couple (Darcy and Jeremy. IYKYK) about how Darcy (ADHD) picks up accents everywhere they go. It's called ADHD Mirroring??? And it's another way of masking."
(The OP is referring to Darcy Michaels and his husband Jeremy Baer, who are both touring comedians based in Canada.)
Hundreds of people on the Reddit thread alone seem to relate. One comments, "Omfg I've done this my whole life; I'll even pick up on the pauses/spaces when I'm talking to someone who is ESL—but English is my first language lol."
Sometimes, it can be a real issue for those around the chameleon. "I accidentally mimicked a waitress's weird laugh one time. As soon as she was out of earshot, my family started to reprimand me, but I was already like 'oh my god I don’t know why I did that, I feel so bad.'"
Many commenters on TikTok were shocked to find out this can be a sign of ADHD. One jokes, "Omg, yes, at a store the cashier was talking to me and she was French. She's like 'Oh are you French too? No, I'm not lol. I'm very east coast Canada."
And some people just embrace it and make it work for them. "I mirror their words or phrase! I’m 30. I realized I start calling everyone sweetie cause my manager does & I work at coffee shop."