How does the brain rewire itself as you learn things? Recently, I came across some interesting research that used fMRI to visualize how the brain changes as you learn something new. The first interesting tidbit is that brain activation goes down as you learn. The better a subject got at a skill, the less of […]
Archives for 2017
How Einstein Learned Physics
I recently finished Walter Isaacson’s biography of Albert Einstein. The biography covers not just Einstein’s intellectual achievements, but also his anti-war activism, marital difficulties and celebrity. However, I wanted to share just the one part I found most interesting: how did Einstein learn? Wanting to understand how Einstein learned physics may, at first, seem as […]
Some Useful Distinctions When Thinking About Your Career
I recently had a call with someone trying to start a blogging business. They asked me a lot of insightful questions, as I walked through my own history in the career and what I thought about it. As a follow-up, I was interested in knowing what kinds of conclusions this person had drawn from our […]
Book Review: The Wisdom of Insecurity
A few friends recommended I read this book, because of my budding interest in Buddhism and Eastern religions. Alan Watts was one of the big popularizers of Zen and other Asian spiritual philosophies in the 50s and 60s, and I greatly enjoyed his television program. I’ve become interested in these sorts of ideas because, for […]
I'm a Wall Street Journal bestselling author, podcast host, computer programmer and an avid reader. Since 2006, I've published weekly essays on this website to help people like you learn and think better. My work has been featured in The New York Times, BBC, TEDx, Pocket, Business Insider and more. I don't promise I have all the answers, just a place to start.