What makes things work together? Why is it that code blocks must be made to work in sequence with each other or why making your FIFA team to have high chemistry is important? Because the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. But how is it that the parts work together to make something better. Through coding for weeks straight I found the answer in flexibility. 

We all grow older. But that doesn't mean we have to grow up. Ali recently completed a LEGO  set of NASA's Saturn V and found it reminding him of his childhood building with LEGO's. Not often do you find an adult playing with a children's toy, however, it's one of the most pure of feelings to be a child again, to be able to think divergently and liberally. However, there is a balance to be struck between being both a child and an adult to be truly creative thinkers, builders, and people. 

It's the start of a new year and most people make resolutions and goals. Some are definitive yet some are exploratory. Some are flexible and adjustable, some are rigid and have limits. Whether they are resolutions or life decisions, making plans is a very dynamic process. Here, Abhi and Ali appropriately deconstruct critical components of goal setting and what things to consider when deciding what goal to pursue. 

To finish off the year, Ali writes a letter to 2020, describing his experience, his lessons, and the things he found most valuable from a time like no other. From his academics, to entertainment, and most importantly, friendships, there is no better way to thank 2020 for the time it has spent with us and remembering it fondly with good memories. Happy New Year! 

How can we become better listeners? In this episode, Abhi answers Ali's questions with 3 simple strategies of precise listening, clean questions, and conscious listening. Tune in!

Our world is filled with noise. Becoming a better listener is a grand task. Here, Ali takes just one component of it: Auditory adaptation. All sounds lose meaning because of their repetition. Each time they occur we take the same interpretation, and it’s part of the reason why many times, we fail to listen. Ali looks to musicians as an example to refresh ourselves to the noise around us, and tries to find meaning in every noise we have. 

Why Computers Are Better Thinkers: Ali responds to Abhi’s question on how to think more effectively. Ali’s approach takes it a layer deeper than thinking; entering the realm of metacognition. The best way to think is to actively understand our thinking process, just as computers do. In discussing examples of AlphaGo to what it takes to be creative, maybe it’s time that humans begin to think like computers and not the other way around.  

In this episode, Abhi poses a series of deep yet simple questions on how to think effectively, efficiently, and in a structured manner... how to think about problems... what frameworks to use to evaluate problems that matter and do 'great work'... and other such questions. Tune in to listen to this episode of audio diaries :)

Ali has started playing chess again. And he's addicted. He's been playing 6-8 games a day, solving puzzles in his free time, and spending hours watching videos on strategy. This new distraction of his however is not to no avail. His thinking is beginning to change and the way he makes decision are inspired by the very moves he makes in a chess match. This episode discusses what makes chess a brilliant game and why it really is a metaphor for life. 

In this episode, Abhi catches up with his friend from UC Berkeley, Anjali Thakrar. They talk a lot about how a 'technical' mindset helps with humanities, how poems especially of Robert Frost add more to our lives, and what real Education is. Tune in for a great, casual chat!