Hardware, Firmware, and Software – Biology, Culture, and Behavior 

Hardware, Firmware, and Software – Biology, Culture, and Behavior 

This article is part of larger context I have been documenting about my study of Anthropology and Computer Science, and how it changes the way you think. I often think of a person’s actions and personality in the context of three main layers – Biology/Hardware, Culture/Firmware, and Behavior/Software. For example….

Computer Science & Anthropology

Computer Science & Anthropology

Anthropology and Computer Science don’t typically seem like they would have a lot of overlap, but they do. Each focuses on how discrete units change temporally and spacially. One focuses on human evolution, the other on engineering – one on statistics, the other on digital logic. In Anthropology, at least in the US, we study

Injury is an Opportunity for Growth, Not Just Recovery

Injury is an Opportunity for Growth, Not Just Recovery

A few weeks ago, I injured my back boxing – badly. My left hand is numb and feels like I hit my funny bone – all the time, all day and night. It kinda sucks. I can’t squat, deadlift, run or ride a bike. These are things I really miss, but it’s going to be

A Product Management Conference in Cleveland? Who’d a Thought.

A Product Management Conference in Cleveland? Who’d a Thought.

Why would you attend a product management conference, when your time might be better spent learning technical skills or studying some new open source project? Well, the short answer is because there are aspects of product management in almost all jobs now. With the cloud and service based thinking, we all have to think about

Explaining Race Conditions to Non Programmers

Explaining Race Conditions to Non Programmers

A few weeks ago, I was down in Columbus at a coffee shop. This place happened to have a bathroom which needed a key to use. I went to the counter to ask for the key because mother nature called, but the key was nowhere to be found. Somebody was already in the bathroom and

The Willpower it Takes to Be Homeless

The Willpower it Takes to Be Homeless

Often, I think we are desensitized to how difficult it is to be homeless – to have very little control over our day to day life. We take for granted that we get to pick what shirt to wear, when to take a shower, when to have our first cup of coffee. Recently, this became

The Many Versions of You – Comparing Yourself to Others in a Healthier Way

The Many Versions of You – Comparing Yourself to Others in a Healthier Way

“Should you compare yourself to others when attempting self improvement?” That’s what we debated this morning at the local coffee shop. It started because a young guy said, “I try not to compare myself to other people” – his intention was to imply that you are somehow a better person if you don’t. It was

Body Hacking – Most Business Travelers Are Body Builders, They Just Don’t Know it

Body Hacking – Most Business Travelers Are Body Builders, They Just Don’t Know it

If you are a road warrior, you have probably never thought of yourself as a body builder. But, if you have ever wanted loose weight, you probably are body builder and just don’t know it. For a long, long time, I hated the idea. I loathed it . Eventually, I I learned to embrace it

Body Hacking – While Being a Road Warrior

Body Hacking – While Being a Road Warrior

I recently read Road Warriors – Healthy Tips for Staying ‘On Plan’ by Steve Katasi and thought it was really good. We have developed a lot of the same strategies. I wanted to point people towards it and add a few additions: 1.1: Snacks: there are a TON of good options for protein bars, and

Netflix – Technology Wizards or Good Content?

I love the content they produce like Orange is the New Black, Narcos, Stranger Things, and House of Cards. But, remember back to before Netflix produced this content? They were struggling with subscribers, under attack from cable companies, and their future looked very, very uncertain. So, how did they turn the ship around? They started