It’s Friday again, and that means it’s time for some “Good Stuff of the Week.”

As a scientist, personal financial security usually comes in the form of a tenure-track position at a university. Even then, many modern tenure agreements include a “this is not a guarantee of a salary” clause – scientists need to keep bringing in grant money to keep getting paid. Science outside of institutions is definitely a road less traveled, but some manage to make it work. One marine biologist, Wallace J. Nichols, is using a novel strategy to fund his work: through his 100 Blue Angels project, Nichols crowdsources monthly contributions from dozens of backers to pay his salary and keep his research going. You can read more about it here. Cool idea, Wallace! Now, to find some financial backers of my own…

This next piece is really neither here nor there, but it’s too cool to ignore. Flapping flight is complicated, and I’ve never seen a machine that looks as genuinely graceful and, well, biological as this one.

Ever wonder why some Facebook posts and tweets get lots of attention, and others none? Certainly content has something to do with it, but timing is important too. This short article at the Nieman Lab of Harvard University dissects a huge analysis of Facebook posts, tweets, and e-mail newsletters, and suggests ways that better timing can make your social media strategy more effective.

Speaking of alternatives to the tenure track, have you ever wondered where the science comes from in shows like Bones, House, or CSI? Have you thought it might be a good idea to become a science consultant for the entertainment industry? Yeah, me neither. Still, I enjoyed this article by Jennifer Ouellette about how science consulting works. It’s an interesting look inside the entertainment industry, and provides some insight into the process by which science becomes part of our pop culture.

I’ve thought a lot about the connection between art and science. And while I generally find it easy to come up with examples of how science has contributed to art, it’s more difficult for me to come up with examples of how art contributes to science. Surely art can serve as a medium for communicating about science, but is this the only way science benefits from art? Nope. And this short article should convince you — it gives lots of great examples of the ways that art and artists have inspired scientists and engineers.