Blog
This is a blog I used to maintain before I started my PhD (up until 2012). Popular posts include: my advice on applying to a PhD, my reflections on what I did right and wrong in college, my thoughts on summiting Monte Rosa, and my series on my year in Cambridge as a Churchill Scholar. Posts are preserved largely as originally published; like many college kids, I was a bit obnoxious and my views in many cases will have changed.
All posts
41 posts · Newest first-
More Advice for Future Churchill Scholars (and Other Cambridge Students)
Reflections on a year as a Churchill Scholar.
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Dispatch from England - Part V
Advice for future Churchill Scholars (and other Cambridge students) from a former Churchill Scholar.
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Dispatch from England - Part IV
Being £20 north of the Continent (thanks Ryanair!) necessitates frequent travel.
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Dispatch from England - Part III
Life in Cambridge, the 700-year old university that doesn't look a day over 600.
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Dispatch from England - Part II
Being an American in England feels like being a golden retriever puppy at a funeral - incongruously enthusiac.
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Dispatch from England - Part I
Life at Churchill College, home of Cambridge's engineers and Americans.
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Guide to Applying to US Science PhD Programs and Fellowships
How to choose where to apply, how to put together a good application, and how to decide where to go.
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College - What I Did Right and Where I Screwed Up
Reflections on five years at the University of Southern California.
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Four Big Ideas from the Open Science Summit 2010
Microfinance & science, scientific reproducibility, and how to attract more researchers to open science.
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The State of Theory in Neuroscience, or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Data
A physicist's first impressions of neuroscience.
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The Zealot King Problem & An Operational Version of Rice's Theorem
Musings on Turing machines inspired by Sipser's 'Introduction to the Theory of Computation.'
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Better Metrics for Education
Why today's tests are unnatural and some thoughts on how to improve them.
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The Dematerialization of Life or "Hey, Where'd All My Stuff Go?"
One unexpected consequence of the digital age - no objects to evoke memories.
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When and How Do I Learn Something?
Strategies and actions that have helped me learn and retain material.
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Thoughts on Randomness
How should we define and measure randomness?
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What's Your Ideal Classroom Experience?
Less lecturing and more collaborative problem-solving.
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Succubi, Ripeness, & Saturation - Hitting the Scientific Sweet Spot
How should a young scientist choose a field with lots of opportunity?
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Learning to Read (Scientific Papers)
How to parse the terse, unfamiliar language of the scientific paper.
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Summiting Monte Rosa - Cults, Thoughts, and Chocolate at 4500m
What went through my mind climbing my first glacier in the Italian Alps.
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Itinerant Science - Out of the Office and into the Wild
No one really believes cubicles foster creativity - so why do work in them?
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Italy - Small Portions, Smaller People
Why are Americans, and their plates, so large?
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Science from the Source - Best of Scientist Blogs
Few scientists write about their work for the popular audience, but here are some of my favorites.
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Benvenuto a Torino - A Day in the Life of a Mountain-Dwelling Physicist
That time I lived in the foothills of the Italian Alps for the summer.
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Pottery, Churches, and Palaces Aren't Enough
The damaging effect of history's focus on the powerful and tangible.
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3 Ways to Experience a Scene
The romantic, analytical, and evocative approaches to viewing a scene.
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Trained Attention & Discovering the Silent Stories
Our attention is often so trained that we miss the most interesting stories around us.
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Why the World Needs New Currencies
Our current monetary system doesn't always reward those who deserve it.
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The Four Shades of Decision Making
How should we define and measure randomness?
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Welcome to India
The (mis)adventures of USC students trying to bring clean water to an Indian village.
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This is China
Some defining moments for my summer in China.
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Luoyang - The China that Doesn't Speak English
A weekend trip to Luoyang for mountains, temples, and crypts.
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Nanjing - In Search of Ancient China
A weekend trip to Nanjing for WWII museums, temples, and ancient city walls.
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UNESCO's Disneyfinger
UNESCO World Heritage status is usually considered an honor, but it has its drawbacks.
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Hangzhou - The Adventure that Was Going to Be
A weekend in Hangzhou with the other USC Global Fellows.
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Rolling Out the Red Carpet for Foreigners
There's a big difference between how nationals and foreigners are treated in China.
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Engineering Everything
As we learn more about the world, everything becomes engineerable.
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Huangshan - A Breath of Fresh Air
Hiking one of China's most famous and beautiful (and crowded) mountains.
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Just How Big is China?
Even hiking a mountain involves waiting in line.
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Preparing for China - Goals
My goals for my summer (internship) in Shanghai.
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Preparing for China - Expectations
What I expect for my summer internship in Shanghai.
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Preparing for China - The Situation
I'm being paid to work in Shanghai for the summer and I'm gonna write about it.