Author: jeremy
Cramming In
“Just look at these notes that I’ll post three days before the exam but never explain. You’ll get all the ideas there.”
A Lighthouse Cutting Through the Fog of Overwhelm
We might have lost the basketball game, but as a coach, it was one of the most inspiring performances I’ve seen from my team. We had no business winning. Though we were good, this team was undefeated despite playing some of the other top teams in our league. As I watched our opponents move like...
Data Has a Friction Problem
As a runner, I could tell you things about my town that few others would know. I could describe the best homes for glorious views of the sunrise. I could tell you about our street lights based on the bubbles of light I see on dark mornings. I could show you the terrible (and sometimes...
Posthaste
Seamen hurry near the harbour, making final preparations for their vessel. They crunch through a blanket of red, orange, and yellow leaves. Their destination: Europe. A cool wind reminds them to keep working, anything to keep warm against the falling temperatures of autumn. It’s October 15th, 1657, and it’s departure day for the ship docked...
Infrastructure is the Concealed Wiring of Our Civilization
Each winter, I set a goal of not slipping on ice during my runs. Each winter, I’ve failed. Bruised hips and scraped knees tell those tales. Darkness is the primary factor. A typical run begins long before there’s even a hint of morning light. My steps are never fully confident, the snow concealing potential danger...
Reach Out
Amidst the deluge of useless emails came a gem that made my day. It was December 30, 2020, in that liminal week where everything seems to stand still as we transition from one year to the next. I was in my own transition period. After completing an unorthodox master’s degree in theoretical physics, I was...
Getting the Conditions Right for Progress in Weather Forecasting
The first thing I do each morning is check the weather forecast. As a morning runner in Québec, Canada, I can be in for the full spectrum of conditions: rain, blizzards, ice, darkness, sunshine, wind, and anything between 25 and -30 degrees Celsius (77 to -22 degrees Fahrenheit). And to top it off, 2023 seems...
Vampires
Austin Kleon writes about the “vampire test”: avoid people who suck your creative energy and leave you with nothing. We should often steer clear of these people, he says, or else we risk not having enough in the tank for our own work. This got me thinking about the perspective of the vampire. They must...
Teleport With Intention
I’m on the phone with my grandfather, but I’m also in a battle against my own mind. My laptop screen is on my left and my smartphone is on my right, both appealing to check. I can feel my resolve crumbling. My fingers drum on the desk, and I have to physically turn away from...
