107: What is Quality: Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance
Release Date: 01/19/2024
118: Attention is All You Need: The World After Capital
Made You Think
“The amount of human attention in the world is finite. We have 24 hours in the day, some of which we need to spend paying attention to eating, sleeping and meeting our other needs. The attention during the remaining hours of most people in the world is taken up by having to earn an income and by consuming goods and services, leaving relatively little time for attention to be freely allocated. A hard limit on available attention also exists for humanity as a whole—as I argued earlier, we are headed for peak population, at which point we will no longer be increasing the total amount of...
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117: Winning and Losing Millions in Crypto Confidential
Made You Think
“I could hardly form the words. My mouth wasn’t working. My heart hammered in my ears and pins and needles burned my hands and feet. I squeezed my fists as hard as I could to get them to stop hurting as I stumbled into my office and fumbled through my laptop password, pulling up the message that had thrown me out of bed: “Nat, someone found a way to hack us. It sounds bad. All of our funds might be at risk.” This was the absolute worst-case scenario. The one I’d pushed to the back of my mind. The one I pretended was impossible so I could sleep at night. I’d always accepted...
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116: What Was It All For? WWI by Martin Gilbert
Made You Think
“If the war was to be over by Christmas, as many believed, or at the latest by Easter 1915, tens of thousands of soldiers might be killed or wounded before the guns fell silent. Every army believed that it could crush its opponents within a few months.” Welcome back to another episode of Made You Think! Join us as we dive into The First World War by Martin Gilbert. We'll explore the intricate details of WW1, from the seemingly pointless triggers to the significant aftermath that reshaped the world. We'll also touch on intriguing historical anecdotes, like Germany's return in WW2, and the...
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115: Einstein’s Dreams by Alan Lightman
Made You Think
"The tragedy of this world is that no one is happy, whether stuck in a time of pain or of joy. The tragedy of this world is that everyone is alone. For a life in the past cannot be shared with the present. Each person who gets stuck in time gets stuck alone.” Welcome back to another episode of Made You Think! In this episode, we explore the concept of time through the lens of one of the most imaginative books of our time, Einstein's Dreams. The novel portrays Albert Einstein as a young scientist grappling with his dreams as he works on his theory of relativity. This episode promises to spark...
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114: Book vs. Big Screen: 3 Body Problem on Netflix
Made You Think
"But if science tells you that something’s impossible, and it happens anyway, it means one of two things. Either the science is wrong, or it’s a scam.” Welcome back to another episode of Made You Think! Today, we're exploring the 3 Body Problem TV series on Netflix, inspired by Cixin Liu's acclaimed novel. Listen in as we discuss Season 1's adaptation from book to screen, analyzing character shifts, narrative changes, and the portrayal of scientific concepts. If you enjoyed The Three-Body Problem book series or consider yourself a sci-fi fanatic, this one is for you! We cover a wide...
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113: Too Much of a Good Thing: Bad Therapy
Made You Think
"We’ve never had a generation more focused on its feelings and, frankly, not one more tyrannized by their feelings.” Welcome back to another episode of Made You Think! Today, we're delving into Abigail Shrier's , a thought-provoking book which highlights the impact of therapy on individuals, especially younger generations. Join us as we explore the nuances of therapy, its incentives, and its effects. We cover a wide range of topics including: Challenges of parenting in a therapy-centric culture Unintended consequences of therapeutic incentives The fine line between taking thoughts too...
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112: Thou Mayest: East of Eden by John Steinbeck
Made You Think
“I believe that there is one story in the world, and only one. . . . Humans are caught—in their lives, in their thoughts, in their hungers and ambitions, in their avarice and cruelty, and in their kindness and generosity too—in a net of good and evil. . . . There is no other story. A man, after he has brushed off the dust and chips of his life, will have left only the hard, clean questions: Was it good or was it evil? Have I done well—or ill?” Welcome back to another episode of Made You Think! In this episode, Nat, Neil and Adil dive into John Steinbeck's masterpiece, East of Eden....
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111: Logicomix: An Epic Search for Truth
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"All the facts of science aren't enough to understand the world's meaning. For this, you must step outside the world." Welcome back to another episode of Made You Think! In this episode, we're adventuring into the world of Logicomix, a graphic novel that takes us on a journey through the intricate life of mathematician Bertrand Russell. From the quest for precision that borders on madness to the historical events Russell was embroiled in, we'll explore the complexities of logic, philosophy, and mathematics. We cover a wide range of topics including: Why seeking precision in understanding the...
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110: Fear of Oozification
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"Oozification is the process of recursively replacing systems based on numerous larger building blocks, governed by many rules, with ones based on fewer, smaller building blocks, governed by fewer rules, thereby increasing the number of evolutionary possibilities and lowering the number of evolutionary certainties." Welcome back to another episode of Made You Think! In this episode, we're discussing Fear of Oozification, an article by Venkatesh Rao. Get ready to explore the concept of ooziness in technology, learn the signs of oozification, and uncover why the ooze should (or should not) be...
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109: The Pursuit of Intelligence: Flowers for Algernon
Made You Think
“I don’t know what’s worse: to not know what you are and be happy, or to become what you’ve always wanted to be, and feel alone.” Welcome back to another episode of Made You Think! Today, we're delving into Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes. Join us as we take you through the journey of an intellectually disabled man who undergoes a procedure with the hopes of increasing his mental abilities. We'll unpack several themes that resonate deeply with the human experience, and seek to get our questions answered on what it truly means to be intelligent. We cover a wide range of topics...
info_outline“Quality...you know what it is, yet you don’t know what it is. But that’s self-contradictory. But some things are better than others, that is, they have more quality. But when you try to say what the quality is, apart from the things that have it, it all goes poof! There’s nothing to talk about. But if you can’t say what Quality is, how do you know what it is, or how do you know that it even exists? If no one knows what it is, then for all practical purposes it doesn’t exist at all. But for all practical purposes it really does exist.”
Welcome back to another episode of Made You Think! In this episode, we're discussing Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert M. Pirsig. Join us as we ride through the intersections of philosophy, a father and son motorcycle trip across America, and the pursuit of Quality.
We cover a wide range of topics including:
- Different learning styles and the value of hands-on experience
- Exploring the elusive concept of Quality
- Reflections on the narrative and philosophy of the book
- Overcoming gumption traps and staying enthusiastic
- How the journey is just as important as the destination
And much more. Please enjoy, and make sure to follow Nat, Neil, and Adil on Twitter and share your thoughts on the episode.
Links from the Episode:
Mentioned in the Show:
- Apple Podcasts (0:46)
- Spotify (1:07)
- Steve Jobs Presents to the Cupertino City Council (6:30)
- Chris Langan: The Bouncer (30:24)
- 24 (58:01)
Books Mentioned:
- Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance
- Lila: An Inquiry into Morals (15:40)
- The Animate and the Inanimate (30:49)
- Outliers (31:39)
- Tao Te Ching (40:50) (Book Episode) (Nat's Book Notes)
- Gödel, Escher, Bach (47:37) (Book Episode) (Nat's Book Notes)
- Infinite Jest (47:58) (Book Episode) (Nat's Book Notes)
- The Three-Body Problem (57:29) (Book Episode) (Nat's Book Notes)
People Mentioned:
- Robert M. Pirsig
- Michel Thomas (13:07)
- William James Sidis (30:32)
- Christopher Langan (31:22)
- Jack Bauer (58:00)
- Liu Cixin (58:37)
Show Topics:
(0:00) We open the episode with our take on podcast analytics. Though people can choose where they want to listen, it’s hard to get a sense of overall listening numbers across platforms as a whole.
(2:49) Today's episode is centered around Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. Neil connects his college experience to the book, describing the contrast between theoretical vs. applied learning.
(5:35) Different learning styles, emphasizing hands-on experience, and the importance of practical understanding over theory.
(9:43) Why is it that not every great athlete can go on to become a great coach? It all comes down to being able to apply and share your knowledge in a given setting.
(12:59) Sharing our thoughts on how the story was written, the narrative of the motorcycle trip, and how the sequel compares to this story.
(18:43)The author opens the door to a variety of ideas such as learning to be in the present moment and how to focus on one thing at a time. Though Pirsig is intuitive across several domains, we find that he struggles to put these concepts into words.
(23:12) While on a trip with his son and another couple, the author reflects on flashbacks in his life, including the treatment of his past insanity. Through fixing the bike and traveling across the country, he learns many valuable lessons and philosophies along the way.
(28:23) We briefly discuss the sequel where Pirsig highlights William James Sidis, known for his incredibly high IQ and profound ideas on the origin of life.
(32:43) Comparing bike riding to a full-body meditation. Each limb has a specific task to operate the bike, and you have to be focused on the road in front of you, truly bringing yourself to the present moment.
(34:10) Nat, Neil, and Adil ponder the concept of Quality, its connection to science, spirituality, and the importance of peace of mind. Quality is all about applying yourself and your senses in the present moment, and being one with what you are doing.
(40:54) Nat shares his perspective on the book's cognitive challenges and the reconciliation of theory and practice within the book.
(45:18) One unique factor about this book is that it doesn’t necessarily mean to give you a conclusive solution at the end. It’s all about enjoying the journey, and being okay with the fact that you may not have arrived anywhere by the end of the book.
(48:53) Appreciating the book's humor, comical dialogues, and character depth, with a desire for more insight into the minds of the minor characters.
(52:05) It can be very difficult to get started on any project, especially when you think of the whole scope of what you're about to do. If you can start with just one part, it becomes more manageable. We relate this idea to the book writing process.
(1:04:37) What are gumption traps, and how can you avoid falling into them? Plus, we give some examples of common gumption traps that you may fall into that diminish your enthusiasm.
(1:11:47) That concludes this episode! If this episode intrigued you, make sure to pick up a copy of Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. Next up, we'll be reading Straw Dogs by John Gray. Plus, we have an exciting announcement coming soon. Stay tuned for future episodes to stay in the know!
If you enjoyed this episode, let us know by leaving a review on iTunes and tell a friend. As always, let us know if you have any book recommendations! You can say hi to us on Twitter @TheRealNeilS, @adilmajid, @nateliason and share your thoughts on this episode.
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Thanks for listening. See you next time!