Let me tell you about my favorite mathematical proof. It’s for a puzzle called the marriage problem (alternatively called the secretary problem or the sultan’s dowry). It’s my favorite for belonging to a rare category of “mathematical proofs which also have to do with sex.” The problem is very simple: Suppose you are looking to […]
Being Honest with Yourself is Hard
I remember talking to a psychologist once about the difficulties of social science. She told me that the easy thing about being a physicist is that most people aren’t very familiar with physics—stars, quarks and gamma rays—so if you’ve done the research and have good reasons to believe something to be true, people will take […]
Should You Accept Your Constraints or Try to Improve Them?
One book that had a huge impact on me was The Power of Full Engagement by Tony Schwartz and Jim Loehr. The book’s thesis was simple: time-management doesn’t work because your energy is more limited than time. Before the book, I used to get frustrated with my inability to follow my own schedules. I’d carefully […]
Why the Smartest People Don’t Always Give the Best Advice: The Importance of Local Wisdom
Say you want to become a novelist: who would give you better advice on getting started, Stephen King or someone who just published their first book? I imagine most people would lean towards Stephen King. After all, he’s an incredibly successful author, so he certainly knows a lot of things that a first-time author wouldn’t. […]
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.