Arguing from compassion (2021)
For example, that universal basic income (UBI) could ameliorate the loss of jobs due to automation, a straw man would be, “So you want people to sit at home all day and collect free money?” Recently, the term has become a cudgel in the culture wars.
Create a positive feedback loop to become motivated
Do you struggle with enjoying your work? Do you struggle with going to the gym regularly?
Aerobic exercise can reduce the risk of metastatic cancer in mice: study
Tel Aviv University researchers find that exercise defeats cancer by increasing glucose consumption
Are sprouted potatoes safe?
You are better off tossing potatoes that have turned green or grown sprouts. Eating them puts you at risk for toxicity from solanine and chaconine, two natural toxins found in green or sprouted potatoes.
Freedom to Roam in Scotland (2019)
Bikepacking Scotland founder and Apidura Ambassador Markus Stitz guides us through Scotland's 'Freedom to Roam' Act
Earthworms after rain (2019)
What’s really happening when we see earthworms on a soggy sidewalk? It's probably not what you think.
An experiment to test if Bionic Reading helps you read faster
As a hackathon project at our recent team offsite, Mati and I hacked together a quick experiment to test whether Bionic Reading actually works. Initial results suggest not, but there are some glimmers in the data justifying a revised experiment correcting the mistakes of our pilot study. If you have 10 minutes to read…
Learning to think critically about machine learning
Graduate students are helping to infuse ethical computing content into MIT’s largest machine learning course, as part of the Social and Ethical Responsibilities of Computing initiative.
Aerodynamics of Gravel Bikes
Aerodynamics are an important factor in gravel racing and riding. Gravel racing speeds are high—the fastest riders in the 200-mile Unbound average 20 mph (32 km/h) across the Flint Hills of Kansas. And many gravel races can be extremely windy. Optimizing the aerodynamics of a…
My Personal Note Taking Journey
quickly capture your thoughts, as a service
Privacy Friendly Apps – improved privacy protection on the smartphone
We use our smartphone for private conversations, store our contacts and organise our meetings with it. The access to all this sensitive data is handled with the so-called permissions. It means, for example, that each app that requires the smartphone camera needs to get the corresponding permission first. Many of the…
The Math Myth (2016)
Math professor David Edwards sent me this short essay on mathematical education. Printed with his permission. The Math Myth Themath myth is the myth that the future of the American economy is dependent upon the masses having higher mathematics skills. This myth goes back to at least Sputnik, when the Russians were…
So you want to be a writer?
if it doesn't come bursting out of you
Two Years and over 700 Websites Later
An exclusive membership for web pages weighing less than 1 megabyte.
A complete guide to creating actually useful courses
Free guide to creating an online course: pick a topic, validate it, teach with practice, and pre-launch before you film. No email.
TV, or not TV: the story of our bike box (2019)
Our bikes kept getting damaged in transit. Our solution – print a giant TV on the side of the box. Here's how that one tiny decision made a huge impact.
How to identify and misidentify a brown recluse spider (2005)
How to Identify and Misidentify a Brown Recluse Spider by Rick Vetter Staff Research Associate, UC Riverside Dept. of Entomology
You and Your Research (1986)
Little has been written on managing your own research (and very little on avoiding other people managing your research); however, your research is much more under your control than you may realize.
Keep ’em coming: Why your first ideas aren’t always the best
In this episode, Jeremy Utley explains why good ideas are often preceded by not-so-good ideas.
Mastering Metacognition: The What, Why, and How
Boost literacy skills with Achieve3000 Literacy, a comprehensive, personalized learning solution from McGraw Hill. Explore our platform for improved student outcomes.
Missing Darwin Notebooks Returned to Cambridge University Library
Charles Darwin’s iconic Tree of Life notebooks anonymously left in a pink gift bag, 15 months after launch of a worldwide appeal to find them
Becoming a Synth Dynamo
Through the development of Syntorial I've formed some pretty strong opinions when it comes to synthesis. So I figured I'd share them with the world in the
Reliability, constant work, and a good cup of coffee
Why constant-work patterns make systems more reliable, doing the same predictable work regardless of load to avoid surprising failure modes.