Welcome to the 50^th issue of SteemSTEM Distilled, a curation effort by the members of the @steemstem team. SteemSTEM is a community driven project which seeks to promote well-written and informative Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics posts on Steemit. The project involves curating STEM-related posts through upvoting, resteeming, offering constructive feedback, supporting scientific contests, and other related activities. For more details, a recent update on the steemSTEM can be found [**here**](https://steemit.com/steemstem/@steemstem/steemstem-winter-2017-2018-project-update), and a not so recent one [**there**](https://steemit.com/science/@steemstem/an-update-on-the-steemstem-project). Moreover, if you ask yourself about what it means to be part of steemSTEM, please check [**here**](https://steemit.com/steemstem/@steemstem/being-a-member-of-the-steemstem-community). ![](https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mjifaKa9hEw/Wcfnw9LxF-I/AAAAAAAAMtI/jXT86uHth0kPt_O4Q2ilwkfLnknf1bHNQCLcBGAs/s1600/STEM_Distillation.jpg) ___ Our team scours the platform for original and quality content. After working through thousands (literally!) of STEM-related posts and upvoting more than **150** that we deemed to be worthy, we proudly present you our **top 8 handpicked choices** for this Thursday-Sunday period. ___ ## Thursday ___ ### [Geology of Iceland - Part 2: The Iceland hotspot](https://steemit.com/geology/@sooflauschig/geology-of-iceland-part-2-the-iceland-hotspot)

After Hawaii, Iceland is the next "stop" on @sooflauschig's posts. An interesting piece of writing that will teach you more about the geology of the area.

### [Alternative Energy Solution: Bionic Leaf Interacts With Bacteria To Convert Solar Energy Into Liquid Fuel (Research-based)](https://steemit.com/steemstem/@eurogee/alternative-energy-solution-bionic-leaf-interacts-with-bacteria-to-convert-solar-energy-into-liquid-fuel-research-based)

And from geology to technology. @eurogee has brought us a very interesting post on a new technology that promises to create liquid isopropanol fuel using a bionic leaf and an engineered bacterium as a catalyst. ___ ## Friday ___ ### [Visits from Lost Loved Ones & Out-of-Body Experiences](https://steemit.com/psychology/@abigail-dantes/visits-from-lost-loved-ones-and-out-of-body-experiencesn)

In her new series @abigail-dantes goes deeper into the sphere of obscure worlds and tries to break down the mysteries of ghosts and out-of-body experiences. Don't miss the first episode and stay tuned for the next ones!

### [Licking Rocks for Fun and Profit](https://steemit.com/geology/@mountainwashere/licking-rocks-for-fun-and-profit)

Let's go mineral tasting with @mountainwashere in this post. You will be surprised to learn what those geologists have to put in their mouths for the sake of their science.
___ ## Saturday ___ ### [Ionospheric TEC Variation: Importance to Scintillation Study and Radio Signal Propagation](https://steemit.com/steemstem/@obamike/ionospheric-tec-variation-importance-to-scintillation-study-and-radio-signal-propagation)

An interesting physics post by @obamike is here. This one discusses the importance of studying the ionospheric Total Electron Content data. Check it out!

### [Exploit your Learning Style](https://steemit.com/steemstem/@conas/exploit-your-learning-style)

@conas has given us a very helpful post on the various learning styles there are out there. Once you figure out yours, the learning process will be so much easier as you will be able to develop much more effective learning strategies.

___ ## Sunday ___ ### [The Quest for A Total Annihilation of the Killer Mosquitoes](https://steemit.com/science/@bitfairy/the-quest-for-a-total-annihilation-of-the-killer-mosquitoes)

Little flying, blood-sucking vampires, AKA mosquitoes are the main topic of this post by @bitfairy. Read it to learn more about how and why scientists have been trying to get rid of them and what would happen if those insects disappeared for good.
### [The control of Ebola Virus Disease in 2018](https://steemit.com/steemstem/@nonzerosum/the-control-of-ebola-virus-disease-in-2018)

An extended and well-written post on the deadly Ebola virus is here by @nonzerosum. Read it to learn more about this plague and the new vaccine that is being developed to use in the fight against it.

___ A few words about the nomination process ___ For the sake of transparency we feel we need to clarify how our nomination process works; each issue is compiled by certain members of the SteemSTEM community. This week's editorial team was comprised of @ruth-girl. The editorial team chooses their favorite posts for the week and each issue is the result of their joined effort. In order to keep the process fair, posts written by the editorial team are excluded from the nomination process. Don't be discouraged if you didn't make it on this issue. The competition is harsh and there is always a next time :) In the meantime, you may wish to check [**these guidelines**](https://steemit.com/steemstem/@steemstem/helpful-guidelines-for-crafting-steemstem-content) for extra tips on how your writing can be more effective. ___ Authors That Received a Curie Upvote by the SteemSTEM Team ___ In the same spirit of being transparent about our actions that are now supported by **@curie**, we will release every week a list of authors who have caught the attention of the **@steemstem** curation team. If you want to discuss this with us, please do not hesitate to join the [**steemSTEM discord server**](https://discord.gg/9c7pKVD) or to follow our curation trail (just ask us for more information on the chat for details). From May 06 to May 13, we rewarded **124** different authors who have written a total of **170** different articles. The authors who received both a @steemstem and a @curie vote that week are: @aamin, @abumaryam, @addempsea, @adeosunadeyinka, @adetola, @afolwalex, @agbona, @agmoore, @akouta, @alexander.alexis, @alexdory, @anaestrada12, @anomalogy, @arrrados, @aurackle, @azulear, @biologist, @bitfairy, @carlosgerdet, @chloroform, @churchboy, @crypto-bird, @cyprianj, @davidekpin, @davidrhodes124, @davinci.times, @deboas, @dedicatedguy, @deholt, @dennis.bacchus, @derbesserwisser, @dexterdev, @doctorcro, @drago18121996, @drifter1, @drtobi18, @duke77, @edwin10, @egotheist, @eliaschess333, @emily61, @ennyta, @eurogee, @event-horizon, @fabiob, @florae, @funmiakinpelu, @germanmontero, @gra, @greciaamidala, @hadji, @henrychidiebere, @highonthehog, @humbledeen, @ideas-abstractas, @ied, @issavets, @joelagbo, @josedelacruz, @kharrazi, @khrisaeroth, @kingabesh, @lauch3d, @lawkay, @lefactuoscope, @lesshorrible, @lordneroo, @lorenzor, @markovicmarko, @masterwriter, @mathowl, @maurelvys, @menoski, @micro24, @mountainwashere, @mrbreeziewrites, @nicotinamina, @noble-noah, @obamike, @olajidekehinde, @onyima, @pangoli, @polaleye50, @pratik27, @procrastilearner, @proteus-h, @psicoluigi, @real2josh, @rharphelle, @rickie, @rnunez09, @robertoromero, @rubies, @sakura1012, @samminator, @scienceangel, @siavach, @sogless, @sooflauschig, @soulesque, @spaghettiscience, @star-vc, @steemzeiger, @steep2308, @steepup, @sustainablyyours, @temitayo-pelumi, @terrylovejoy, @tfcoates, @thethinkingdr, @tking77798, @ugonma, @ulisesfl17, @valth, @vanessahampton, @viannis, @vic0617, @whentone, @whileponderin, @wisdomdavid, @yan8018, @yann85, @ydavgonzalez, @ysabelbencomo ___

_{[Credits: @elvisxx71]}

All curation rewards earned will be used to fund @steemstem project functioning and activities.

See you all next Thursday (or Friday :p)!