What makes STEM classes different
The current zeitgeist emphasizes increasing the number of students pursuing STEM. Many hypothesize that classroom instruction is one of the reasons there are disproportionately high failure »
If it can't be written down easily, it may as well not have happened
When preparing for an interview or a performance review, remind yourself that if something can't be easily written down as you describe it, then it may »
Contract manufacturing has become like cloud computing
Large contract manufacturers like Foxconn in China allow companies like Apple to pay only for labor to produce a specified inventory. Tasks are continually subdivided so »
Progress isn't linear
Progress is rarely consistent or predictable. Anyone who has spent time at the gym, running, or brainstorming ideas knows that progress comes in bursts. So, it's »
When is something wet?
Defining when something is wet is surprisingly hard. In fact, there still isn't a commonly agreed upon scientific definition. Despite this, we can describe the general »
Benford's Law
Benford's Law describes the frequency distribution of the first digit seen in real life numerical data sets. Intuitively, we know that more numbers should start with »
Endemic species
Most discussions about environmental conservation focus on whether plants and animals are native to a particular habitat, but in the Galapagos, the government also focuses on »
Removing mental friction
When possible, remove mental friction from things you (want to) do regularly, no matter how small. This may mean leaving work materials out, so you can »
Why do we still have electronic toll transponders?
Given that authorities can reliably send bills to owners of cars that fail to pay tolls by using OCR to read license plates, why do drivers »
News has changed from pull to push
One of the dangerous conveniences afforded by social media is that news consumption has changed from pull to push. With personalized feeds, readers no longer need »