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A Graduate Student’s Attempt to Find Sunshine as the Cloud Reigns Summary: I tried doing my laundry without a smartphone. This proved to be difficult, since our laundry machines can only be operated with a smartphone app. After lots of struggle, I finally managed to do it, leading me to reflect on whether technology is […]
a year ago

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More from Naveen Arun's Blog

No Good Deed Goes Unpunished

It’s often the case that when we do good things for others, we open ourselves to new risks. A student helps a classmate, only to get accused of cheating. A friend lends money, which strains the friendship. A driver stops their car for a pedestrian, then gets rear-ended. We do so many things with good […]

a year ago 17 votes
“The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog”, but in legalese

I asked ChatGPT to rewrite “The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog”, but in legalese. This is what it gave me: “WHEREAS, this Agreement is made, entered into and fully understood on this day, by and between two primary entities, both of distinct characteristics and behaviors, respectively designated as ‘The Quick Brown Fox’ […]

a year ago 17 votes
Please Let Me Monetize My Hobbies

Please, let me monetize my hobbies. After all, what’s the point of doing something purely for fun when I could be making money off it? Please, let me turn my relaxing gaming sessions into high-pressure performances with commentary. Who wouldn’t enjoy transforming a leisurely pastime into a taxing job, complete with an audience to please? […]

a year ago 17 votes
Think Excel Can’t Handle PDEs? Think Again: A Chemical Engineering Case Study

Did you know you can solve 2D partial differential equations (PDEs) in Excel without resorting to macros? In this post, we’ll look at how to solve Laplace’s Equation, , in two dimensions using nothing but Microsoft Excel. Introduction Heat transfer is a critical concept in chemical engineering, as engineers often need to design equipment for […]

a year ago 16 votes

More in life

Hiring judgement

In the end, judgment comes first. And that means hiring is a gut decision. As much science as people want to try to pour into the hiring process, art always floats to the top. This is especially true when hiring at the executive level. The people who make the final calls — the ones who are judged on outcome, not effort — are ultimately hired based on experience and judgement. Two traits that are qualities, not quantities. They are tasked with setting direction, evaluating situations, and making decisions with limited information. All day long they are making judgment calls. That's what you hire them to do, and that's how you decide who to hire. Presented with a few finalists, you decide who you *think* will do a better job when they have to *think* about what to do in uncertain situations. This is where their experience and judgment come in. It's the only thing they have that separates them from someone else. Embrace the situation. You don't know, they don't know, everyone's guessing, some guess better than others. You can't measure how well someone's going to guess next time, you can only make assumptions based on other assumptions. Certainty is a mirage. In the art of people, everything is subjective. In the end, it's not about qualifications — it's about who you trust to make the right call when it matters most. Ultimately, the only thing that was objective was your decision. The reasons were not. -Jason

19 hours ago 4 votes
Fast Cash vs. Slow Equity

Knowing what you're building

19 hours ago 4 votes
Why Are Some Of Our Most Successful Leaders Mentally Ill?

On Milei, Musk, and Trump

7 hours ago 2 votes
Classical Music Got Invented with a Hard Kick from a Peasant's Foot

Or why we need less math in music theory

19 hours ago 2 votes
my parents.

the stewards of my soul!

2 hours ago 2 votes