Voting is a collective action problem
Individually, it may be rational not to vote, but collectively if too many people have that attitude, democracy is meaningless and ineffective. In other words, voting »
Learning about people's childhoods
I wish more people would focus more on the context behind people's opinions. By taking time to understand the experiences that shape people's values and priorities, »
The temptation of political apathy
For better or worse, many people feel like they won't be directly impacted by the presidential election in November. And that's probably true; our day-to-day lives »
Picture perfect food
Walking into sterile Western-style grocery stores, you wouldn't know that plants were grown in soil. The produce is unnaturally pristine and looks like it's been taken »
False sense of security from pollsters
Polls are different from elections, though the difference can feel subtle. It's a mistake to assume that because pollsters project that an election is a foregone »
Net neutrality at risk
In emerging markets, it's becoming increasingly common for phone companies to compromise net neutrality and give free unlimited access to Facebook, Twitter, and Whatsapp. While arguably, »
Credit cards at the table
Abroad, it's common for restaurants to bring credit card readers to the table when it's time to settle the bill. In addition to giving me peace »
Defaulting to assuming people are locals
Because I look racially ambiguous, people often don't know what to make of me, especially when I'm traveling. Typically people default to assuming that I'm a »
Additional personal foul for overtime
While limiting the number of fouls that a player can commit during regulation helps ensure fair play, I think that it has unintended consequences if a »
Knowing the great works
Recently, I was embarrassed when I couldn't remember that Cervantes is famous for writing Don Quixote. But, when I reflected on this later, I realized many »