The Option to Return It
A reversible decision is usually safer than an irreversible one. Sheena Iyengar and Mark Lepper ran a jam tasting in a shop. A large table with many varieties drew more…
The Letter and the Purpose
Public argument about law usually reduces to two formulas: rules must always be obeyed, or personal conscience outranks any text. Neither notices that legality, justice, legitimacy and the safety of…
ZDP-189: A Steel That’s Hard to Sharpen and Easy to Ruin
ZDP-189 is a Japanese powder steel from Hitachi with an extremely high content of carbon and chromium: 3% carbon and 20% chromium. Besides these, the composition includes molybdenum, vanadium, tungsten,…
Triage First
When there are too many tasks, the natural reaction is to declare everything urgent. After that the word “urgent” carries no information, and the work gets done in order of…
A Crisis Cannot Be Waited Out Alone
A culture of autonomy teaches that hard thoughts should first be worked through on your own, and that you should ask for help only once you have a ready explanation.…
Less as a Design Constraint
Modern minimalism has turned a constraint into moral superiority: fewer things, less luggage, fewer functions — therefore a more correct life. A constraint really can improve a solution, but a…