Announcing the Winners of the Experimental Grants

Posted on February 8th, 2024 A month ago, I announced that I would celebrate my 34th birthday by giving away $3400 to help four people become scientists of their own life. I encouraged people to submit proposals for a personal experiment they wanted to run, where $850 would help make it happen. To maximize positive … Read More

How to deal with negative emotional triggers

It’s easy to stay calm when things are under control. But, sometimes, life happens. A deadline is moved up. Your train is canceled. Your luggage gets lost. Then, your heartbeat goes faster. You can feel the tension in your muscles. Your breathing accelerates. That’s it: You’re stressed. Psychologists often say that our freedom lies in … Read More

Neuroenergetics: The Brain’s Energy Budgeting System

Despite its small size compared to the rest of the body, the human brain consumes a lot of energy, consuming about 20% of the body’s resources. This energy is vital for maintaining the brain’s complex functions such as thinking, memory, and controlling the body. Neuroenergetics is a specialized area of research that aims to understand how the brain manages this energy.

The science of decision-making: why smart people do dumb things

Chocolate or vanilla? Trello or Jira? Atom or VS Code? Stay in or go out? Should I click on this link or not? We make thousands of choices everyday, often automatically, using mental models we have created over years of experience. Decision-making is the process we use to identify and choose alternatives, producing a final … Read More

How to better remember what you read

While most people—including scientists—agree on the benefits of reading books, not everyone seems to have been made equal when it comes to remembering their content. Some people (including my dad, who we call a Walking Wikipedia) are an endless source of insights, recalling every single detail long after they’re finished reading. Others, not so much.  … Read More