Keep text messages positive
Text messages are easy to misinterpret. Because tone is hard to convey, negativity has a tendency to quickly spiral out of control. If you're going to »
Signal jamming
Have you ever had trouble ordering an Uber from a hotel lobby or airport? It turns out you're not imagining things. Marriott has been blocking customers' »
Legibility of different writing systems
I'm curious how legible street signs are when they're written in different writing systems. Arabic takes a similar amount of horizontal space as its English translation, »
Hypocritical open mindedness?
It's ironic that many who claim to be open minded are actually closed minded. In other words, they're only open minded with those who share their »
Opposite effect
Some phrases have the opposite effect of their literal meaning. For example: Telling someone to "calm down" almost always escalates a disagreement Telling people »
Laptop charger as an achilles heel
IT gives plenty of suggestions on preventing data loss due to computer crashes during exams, but this year my friends have suffered from a different problem: »
Make yourself vulnerable to strengthen relationships
Knowing which friends will be there for you when times get rough separates your true friends from acquaintances who are friendly, but really only want to »
Give people opportunities to change their minds
While proving that you're "right" is often rewarded in academic settings, direct confrontation often leads people to dig into their positions, making it difficult »
Warehousing and city development
Businesses that sell physical goods need warehouses to keep inventory. While this sounds obvious, it's not clear where businesses should locate them. As transportation technologies have »
Sharing bad news without asking for sympathy
I wish there were a way to share bad news without conversations becoming focused on sympathy. When sharing a death in the family with acquaintances, I'd »