wisdom - - Page 4

“Understanding Math to Live a More Informed Life” KEW Episode 98: The Normal Curve

By kpluseiswise | May 20, 2022May 18, 2022 by kpluseiswise

Are you familiar with the ‘bell curve’? It’s also called a ‘normal curve’, or a Gaussian distribution because it describes what statisticians call a ‘normal distribution’. Here’s the wikipedia definition: a probability distribution that is symmetric about the mean, showing that data near the mean are more frequent in occurrence than data far from the mean And here’s a video link if you want a more detailed explanation. Essentially, this picture is a visual image…

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“I never made a mistake in my life. I thought I did once, but I was wrong” Preview KEW Episode 96: Type II Error

By kpluseiswise | May 4, 2022May 2, 2022 by kpluseiswise

How do you feel about math? How about statistics? If you are like most people, you don’t really care too much about math OR stats. I, myself, did not really like either – until I needed them. As a budding scientist I was really into field work, collecting data, hypothesizing, and playing in streams. But I wasn’t too keen on the writing and data analysis and stuff. Eventually I realized that you are only as…

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“Will You Be Remembered as a Good Person?” FLASHBACK! KEW Episode 16: Who Tells Your Story?

By kpluseiswise | May 2, 2022April 30, 2022 by kpluseiswise

This post was inspired by Lin Manuel Miranda and ‘Hamilton’. History is ‘His’ ‘Story. No matter what happens, it is kept alive in memories, writing, and stories. And whomever keeps it alive interprets the story. However, eyewitness testimony, or individual human memory, has been shown to be among the LEAST reliable way to relate things that happen ( However, eyewitness testimony, or individual human memory, has been shown to be among the LEAST reliable way…

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“Rugged Individualism or Unified Connection?” KEW Episode 95: Cooperation vs Competition

By kpluseiswise | April 29, 2022September 20, 2023 by kpluseiswise

Do you enjoy friendly competition? Many of us do. Some say it brings out the best in us. Some thrive in an environment where other people push us to perform at higher and higher levels. I can appreciate friendly competition like this. But I rarely see it. And sometimes even friendly competition turns sour. Feelings get hurt. Tempers flare. The high level of energy surrounding competitive exchanges can often spill over into anger. In Economics…

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“Balance, Moderation, and Going All-In” KEW Episode 94: Homeostasis

By kpluseiswise | April 22, 2022April 20, 2022 by kpluseiswise

Do you seek balance in your life, or do you go all-in on things you like? I used to think everyone wanted balance, and had a moderate approach to all things in order to maintain that balance across their varied interests. Given that there are only so many hours in a day, it’s hard to do all the things we love to do – or even the things we don’t want to do! But I…

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“All Things in Moderation, or Indulge Your Every Whim?” Preview KEW Episode 94: Homeostasis

By kpluseiswise | April 20, 2022April 18, 2022 by kpluseiswise

Do you remember Homeostasis from high school biology? Probably not – but I bet you have a pretty good idea about what it means. Here’s what Webster-Mirriam says it means: : a relatively stable state of equilibrium or a tendency toward such a state between the different but interdependent elements or groups of elements of an organism, population, or group Of course, then, we have to define equilibrium also: 1 a: a state of intellectual or emotional balance : trying to…

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“Hindsight is 20/20” FLASHBACK! KEW Episode 14: What Can We Learn from COVID?

By kpluseiswise | April 18, 2022April 15, 2022 by kpluseiswise

Now that the worst part is (probably and hopefully) over, can we look back and see how COVID has changed us? Many people died around the world and that will never be anything but terrible, but in what ways has COVID improved the lives of those who survived it? I hope I am being sensitive enough, because I am not trying to diminish the loss of human lives. This episode was recorded in June/July of…

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“Am I Evil, or Just Angry?” KEW Episode 93: Good vs Evil

By kpluseiswise | April 15, 2022April 13, 2022 by kpluseiswise

Have you ever been sucked into an internet thread and walked away feeling angry? You know, like a political rant thread? Identity politics? Ad hominem attacks and name-calling? Isn’t that frustrating? That sentiment or feeling that other people are just mean, or evil, is part of what motivates this week’s Episode. Many will argue that people are just ‘bad’, or even ‘evil’, and that’s why we have bad things in the world. Like these internet…

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“It’s Like Lord of the Flies in Here” Preview KEW Episode 93: Good vs Evil

By kpluseiswise | April 13, 2022April 12, 2022 by kpluseiswise

Do you think people are inherently good, or inherently evil? Like, left to our own devices, will we make decisions that are beneficial or harmful to others? I have mentioned the Rutger Bregman book, ‘Humankind: A Hopeful History‘ MANY times now on the podcast and this is my inspiration for this episode. For a summary of the brief story below, read the book or see his article in The Guardian. Spoiler alert, I believe people are…

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“Turn Off Your Analytical Mind” KEW Episode 92: Intuition

By kpluseiswise | April 8, 2022January 10, 2024 by kpluseiswise

Has anyone ever told you to turn off your analytical mind? Or to use your intuition? I’m lucky to have a coach that constantly asks my analytical self to step aside. The space that remains, sans analysis, is incredibly interesting. And I think it’s where intuition lives. In fact, I’d say my idea of intuition was inaccurate. I guess I thought of it like a hunch. Or a tingly spidey sense. I’m not really sure…