Some of you reached out to ask me how the idea of Natural Experiments is any different from the standard experiments (test/control, A/B testing  et al). The latter (let’s call them Controlled experiments) differ in two critically important ways: Controlled experiments have the ability to define the relevant populations upfront. This is a huge advantage... Continue Reading →

October is the Nobel Prize month – and most years, we really don’t pay all that much attention (except perhaps the Peace Prize where everyone seems to have an opinion). But then, every once in a while, the Nobel Committee ends up landing on a body of work that you can directly see around you.... Continue Reading →

First, the IoT project that I had mentioned in my previous post. Wrapped it up – I have a fully functional AQI device (which measures the Air Quality Indicator, temperature and humidity). All put together, it costed by less than $25 (a similar device retails for $279 from Purple Air, which means the economics of... Continue Reading →

You have probably heard of the growth mindset (Carol Dweck’s seminal work in development psychology). This is the recognition that the brain is a muscle – with practice, effort and nurturing, it can continue to grow and develop, a clear departure from the more fixed mindset of intelligence being an innate trait (you either have... Continue Reading →

Isaac Newton, when asked how he was able to work out some of the fundamental laws in Physics, is said to have responded: “By standing on the shoulders of giants”. A couple of centuries later, a reported asked Einstein if he believed that his stunning contributions to Physics were ‘by standing on the shoulders of... Continue Reading →