The concept of flow, first introduced by psychologist Mihály Csikszentmihályi, is the enjoyable feeling that happens when you are totally immersed in an activity. You stop feeling self conscious, with your attention being completely absorbed by the task at hand. Chances are you’ve felt flow many times before. Maybe during a game, sports or even […]
How the Brain Changes with Expertise
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 […]
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 […]
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.