Surface Tension

In this episode, we interview Madhav Aggarwal, a skilled debater, to discuss the purpose of arguing, how to argue effectively in everyday life, and how to see disagreements as opportunities for growth. Madhav shares insights from his background in debate and provides practical tips on how to improve your argumentation skills.

(0:49): Madhav's background in debate

(3:07): Applying the discipline of debate to everyday life

(4:44): How to think about listening

(5:28): Knowing when to give up ground to win the war

(8:30): Understanding the logos vs. pathos framework to better understand your opponent's perspective

(11:36): Finding common ground with a useful visualization

(17:00): Arguing when you don't have all the evidence

(18:04): What happens when you're wrong?

(19:00): Quick recap of episode so far

(21:18): Arguing from both perspectives

(23:47): Confirmation bias during research

(25:43) Closing thoughts

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This episode was recorded in two parts and documents an ongoing experiment, with the first half focusing on advice from Grant to Sharad on how to build reading into a habit, and the second half picking up a month later with what Sharad found most useful. To everyone that doesn't consistently read right now, it is oh so doable, check out the episode to learn how!

Part 1

(0:00) - Sharing our reading experiences

(7:37) - Unpacking the experiment

(8:30) - Why read?

(11:05) - What to read?

(15:00) - How to read?

Part 2

(23:33) - Sharad's month of reading

(24:55) - Takeaway 1 - Best place to read

(25:28) - Takeaway 2 - Best time to read

(27:31) - Takeaway 3 - Actionable books are easier to get into

(32:03) - What's the plan moving forward?

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Rohan Hirani from Recess and Grant share their experience starting a podcast and give a sneak peak into what goes on behind the scenes.

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Join us in exploring how to travel with friends who have different cultural backgrounds and travel experiences. Our guests include a college-aged international student and another friend who has studied abroad in Vienna. We'll share practical tips on how to plan a trip that suits everyone's interests, and how to go about making the most of your trip once on the ground. Don't miss this episode!

(3:03) - DJing across borders to fund travels.

(6:41) - Tips on choosing the perfect travel destination.

(9:10) - Aryaman's epic solo trip to Vietnam and a hidden gem he discovered.

(12:30) - Solo travel vs. group travel.

(16:43) - Jaylen's four-day trip method for balancing structure and freedom.

(20:15) - Aryaman's perspective on leaving room for spontaneity while traveling.

(21:50) - How travel transforms our worldview: inspiring stories from our guests.

(25:50) - Bucket list destinations: our guests' dream trips.

(28:54) - Expert advice for first-time travelers.Let us know what you think, and follow us on Substack and Instagram.

Join us for an engaging conversation with Jesse Grubs, the independent record store owner of See You CD & Vinyl. Hear about his journey from early vinyl experiences to owning his own store. We talk about the challenges of running an independent business, the importance of customer experience, and the role of music in everyday life. We also dive into the dynamic between indie and big-box retailers and the potential of algorithms in music discovery. Don't miss this episode!

See You CD & Vinyl is located at 208 W Main Street, Urbana. Check out their website and on Instagram

(0:44) - Early introductions to vinyl

(3:38) - Journey as a college intern

(5:57) - Ties to Urbana's iconic Poly Vinyl Records

(9:38) - From working at other record stores to pursuing a dream of owning one

(11:40) - “Trying to work at a record store is what I want to do”

(14:50) - Ensuring customers have an exceptional experience

(17:14) - How music preferences shape the curation of records at the store

(26:51) - Indie vs. big box retailers, streaming vs. vinyl

(32:00) - The role of music in Jesse’s everyday life

(34:26) - Unleashing the power of Spotify's algorithm to discover new music

(35:40) - Balancing work and passion

(38:52) - Circling back to Spotify’s algorithm

(40:49) - The future of See You CD & Vinyl

(43:51) - Wrapping up an insightful conversation with an independent record store owner

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We had the opportunity to interview Josh and Sathwik, the UIUC-based duo behind Sylly - a new dating app that is changing the online dating scene. Instead of simply matching people based on their preferences and interests, Sylly focuses on actually facilitating real-life dates. The app is designed to encourage users to take their online connection offline, and turn virtual conversations into real-life interactions.

In our conversation, we learned about the major problems the current dating app’s have, Sylly’s inspiration, and their vision for the future of online dating. Listen in!

Timestamps

(1:05) Episode Overview

(2:15) Love in the digital age

(4:00) The rise of Tinder and swipe culture

(6:45) Statistics behind dating apps: are the matches leading to actual dates?

(9:00) The impact of paying customers on dating apps

(13:00) The of features that bring people closer to actual dates. Are we just playing a dating app slot machine?

(19:00) Enter Sylly

(23:30) Understanding Nash Equilibrium and how Sylly is creating a better algorithm to improve the online dating experience.

(25:15) The results of Sylly’s first swiping session

(26:30) The future experiments and improvements that Sylly has in store

(34:15) The monopolization of the dating app market, all the apps we know are owned by Match.com

(35:07) Discovering the origin story of Sylly and its 6-month marketing efforts

(39:00) The creative and unique approach Sylly is taking towards monetization

(44:15) Sylly's approach to user conduct.

(47:00) Examining other businesses disrupting the attention-economyLet us know what you think, and follow us on Substack and Instagram.

Join us in this week's episode as we share our own experiences navigating college. From choosing our majors to discovering our passions, we'll take you through the ups and downs of our college journey. We'll discuss the role that professors, clubs, and experiences outside the classroom played in shaping our experiences. And most importantly, we'll talk about how we found what we truly love and how you can use catalysts to do the same. Whether you're currently in college or just starting out, this episode is a must-listen for anyone looking to make the most of their college experience. (:54) How to choose what to study

(3:30) The bubble effect

(7:00) Defining your success and mimetic desires

(10:54) Figuring out what you want to achieve

(12:52) Is what we choose to study important?

(16:18) How to balance finding and job and studying you want?

(20:00) Being deliberate with time early in college

(22:08) Catalysts and finding things you want to be good at

(30:50) Get creative, get stuff done, closing remarks

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In this episode, we are joined by Jack and Nolan, the founders of Bad For Your Health, an in-house fashion label that draws inspiration from Japanese Americana. We discuss how they go about creating their unique clothing line, as well as how customer demand influences their design process. We also explore the challenges and rewards of running a small, independent fashion label and hear about some of their upcoming projects and inspirations.

Check out BFYH’s website and Instagram

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(0:40) Introduction

(2:20) Brand origins

(4:45) Consumer perceptions

(8:40) Creative expression vs. running a business

(11:25) Inspirations - Japanese Americana

(15:45) Shift from utility to fashion

(20:00) Inspirations - political ideas and ecology

(23:30) Collection planning process

(25:45) Delegating tasks / consistencies

(29:30) Balancing / utilizing school

(31:10) Brand evolution

(35:00) The future for BFYH

(39:10) "Oh, is that Bad For Your Health?"

(40:50) Reframing envy / wrapping up

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In this episode, Mike Yao joins us to discuss the effects of the social media business model on our lives and the world around us. We explore how the monetization of our data affects our privacy and how the algorithms that power social media platforms shape our online experiences. Mike also shares his insights on best practices for users, including how to leverage social media to your advantage while avoiding potential pitfalls.

Timestamps

(00:34) Introductions

(04:15) Better definitions of social media

(10:12) Underlying mechanisms and big tech decisions

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(15:05) Is social media bad for you?

(19:45) Short-term effects on behavior

(28:40) Algorithms-

(31:15) Context collapse

(39:00) Features for a better platform

(42:33) How to think about new platforms in a realistic way

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(50:40) How to use social media wisely

(54:15) Why better attempts at social media have failed

(57:30) How to start a new platform

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In this episode of Surface Tension, we discuss the purpose of routine, how to inject variety into your day and the daily practices of past intellectual giants.

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