Imagine I decided a particular event was disdainful. Not just that it may cause me some pain or a distressed emotional state. But that I really don’t like when it happens. Now whenever this event occurs, I find myself in a great deal of misery. Even just the potential of it occurring leaves me anxious […]
Well, That’s Interesting
Imagine two people faced with the same unexpected challenge. One quickly reacts to the situation, builds stress, and is hastily trying to find the best solution to resolve the issue. The other stays calm, takes his time, thinks over the challenge thoroughly before testing plausible solutions. Which one would you prefer to solve a problem […]
Is Privacy Really Private?
One of the core obstacles of a machine learning researcher is often dealing with a lack of data. It’s an easy thing to complain about when it comes to poor performance. Ironically though, those same people can be hesitant about sharing any data about themselves whenever asked. And why wouldn’t they? It’s almost illogical to […]
The Connection Conundrum
Some of the primary drivers of happiness come out of our social bonds. But human beings don’t connect over the phone. At least not as easily. The chemical signals provided between a text and a face-to-face conversation are vastly different, and make the difference between a short-term interaction and a continuous relationship. We don’t have […]
The Closer We Get, The Less We See
There’s a reason why doctors are advised not to help treat their loved ones or close friends. It seems counter-intituive. More time with someone might provide even more information and insight to create better decisions. In fact, that’s sometimes how parents reason with their own judgement versus a doctor’s. But the relationships and connections introduce […]
What Does It Mean to Be Cold?
What kind of a question is that? It seems like being cold is just that, being cold It’s a question for Wim Hof. Wim Hof wakes up to swim in frozen lakes, sleep in snow, and climb Mount Everest in nothing but his underwear. Gifted? Maybe. But then so must be nearly all of his […]
Why I Love Whiteboards
I love whiteboards. For some reason, I always feel like I’m tapping into creative juices whenever I’m using them. And I just don’t get the same feeling when I’m working out problems on pen and paper. But this goes beyond the feeling. Whiteboards are magical for one reason: They can erase easily. If we are […]
It’s Not Always About Ease
The fact that most poor habits are common is explained by the idea that they have easy and instantaneous rewards. And most productive habits are rare because they have hard and far-away rewards. It’s often easy to think of lying and telling the truth within these categories as well. As in, people lie because it’s […]
Actions Speak Louder Than Complaints
“We need to take out the trash.” “Can someone do the laundry?” “Somebody needs to get a floor broom soon.” These are the types of statements that can come when living with others in a home. But have they ever lead to anything meaningful? Oftentimes it is simply a shared proclamation that leads to little […]
Which Wolf Are You Feeding?
An amazing parable: “” An old Cherokee is teaching his grandson about life. “A fight is going on inside me,” he said to the boy. “It is a terrible fight and it is between two wolves. One is evil – he is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, […]