Category: Thinking
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Miracles
When I say that I have experienced miracles, I mean that I witnessed things that are unlikely to have happened by chance. My “miracles” are interesting coincidences, nothing more. I assumed that it was obvious that I didn’t mean the word literally. I don’t believe that those events had supernatural…
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Intuition Pumps
Like all artisans, a blacksmith needs tools, but – according to an old (indeed almost extinct) observation – blacksmiths are unique in that they make their own tools. I met Daniel Dennett in Ghent in 2008. The students of the Vlaams Instituut voor Biotechnologie had been organizing a symposium that…
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The Things We Worry About
I’ve always admired the ability to overcome one’s fears and to encounter danger not just calmly, but with levity. It took me years to realize that this quality isn’t universally admired and seen as reckless or even pathological by some. I admit there may be a cost to pay for…
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Autogenic Training
Autogenic training is a relaxation technique similar to mindfulness meditation. I’ve tried both, and I prefer autogenic training. How does it work? You lie down comfortably and close your eyes. You then, in your mind, go through different body parts. You start with your arms and tell yourself, “My arms…
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The Enemy is Blandness
Life, if you’re not careful, can be bland. Modern buildings, food, clothes, interior design, cars: They’re all very convenient, very safe and very bland. And it’s not just the things we buy, it’s the way we live. Statistically speaking, we have smaller families and fewer friends than we used to.…
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Travel Hesitancy
Whenever I have to catch an early flight and get up at 4 am, I wonder, why I’m doing this to myself? Why don’t I stay home, sleep in and read a book? The dread peaks as I brush my teeth, glancing at my phone every few seconds, wondering if…
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Resist Summary
This is from Simon Sarris’ blog, The Map is Mostly Water: It is an interesting feature of stories and fiction that they resist summary. You cannot read a summary of Anna Karenina and somehow stockpile its pleasures and charms. Narrative resists compression. I think avoiding summary is even more important…
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Minimizing Engagement
In recent years, I’ve tried to limit my news consumption. I’d rather spend my time and attention on things where I can make a difference. I couldn’t put it any better than Dynomight does here: One of my strongest beliefs is that way too many people allow politics to play…
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When to Stop Looking
Imagine you want to hire someone. In a meeting room, there are eight candidates waiting to be interviewed. You can only interview one of them at a time, and after each interview, you need to decide if you want to offer them the job straight away or if you want…
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Fermi Calculations
Many years ago and on a different continent, I used to work for a management consulting firm with offices in all of the world’s major cities. Part of the job was interviewing candidates for entry level consulting positions, and one of the things I liked to ask them was to…
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I Put my Toaster in the Dishwasher
A 2012 blog post recently dug out by Slime Mold Time Mold points out that It is very difficult to discern the difference between Conventional Wisdom and Conventional Ignorance. For example, it may be fine to put a toaster in a dishwasher, despite everyone with a shred of common sense…
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The Ant God
Finding I could speak the language of ants, I approached one and inquired, “What is God like? Does he resemble the ant?” He answered, “God! No indeed – we have only a single sting but God, He has two!“ Idries Shah
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Monday Notes
For the team I manage, I’ve instituted a 60-year-old management technique. Monday notes are a system for keeping track of what everyone is working on, flagging problems and suggesting solutions. I got the idea from reading about a similar system Wernher von Braun used during the early years of NASA.…
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The Long Now
Before I traveled from Cambridge to San Francisco for the first time to do research on mutant yeast, a friend said: “While you’re there, you should check out the Long Now Foundation”. This was in 2008. Once I had settled into my lab at the brand new UCSF Mission Bay…
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Forecasting
Yesterday, the S&P 500 closed at 5,469 points. Do you think it’s going to be higher or lower by the end of the year? You have an opinion, but really, you don’t know. But maybe I’m wrong. Maybe you’re a hundred percent certain you know which way the stock market…
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Insufficient Information
Decisions are always made with insufficient information. If you really knew what was going on, the decision would make itself. Jack McDevitt: Odyssey
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Builds Character
If a person who has not had enough exercise attempts to backpack, then he will find the going difficult. He might think, “I sweat, I get out of breath, I’m out of shape.” But he is wrong to think the tribulation is uniquely his. Everyone sweats; everyone pants for breath.…
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