The Decode Diary

The Decode Diary

By Ray LowBusinessCareers
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The Decode Diary episodes

  • [FULL] Dr. Khan: “At The End Of The Day, Don’t Mess Up The Education”, The Quality Of Students And The Spoon Feeding Issue

    Speaking to a lecturer on issues which you wouldn’t have discussed back in the university days would surely be eye-opening, and this is what this episode has been to me. The number of realizations that go through my mind when speaking with Dr. Khan made me start to wonder whether the discrepancy between the expectations of a lecturer and those of students could one day be eradicated entirely. This conversation I believe is the start to that.

    Dr. Khan has taught me several subjects back in my university days when I was doing Mechatronic Engineering and he was a controversial man. Believe it or not, the complaints from students did not stop him from being a responsible lecturer. I could tell he was one and even more so after this episode. If you are a university student and especially one from UCSI University, listen to this conversation. I hope you see the difference in expectations.

    Timeline:
    [00:00] His story of being a lecturer
    [05:11] Publishing too many research papers in a year
    [14:14] The co-authors of his journal now becomes his network
    [18:10] Collaborating with students on publishing research papers
    [23:50] The impact of education to the nation
    [30:53] Complaints from students on his quality of teaching
    [45:32] The distribution of the quality of students in a class vs the amount of attention he can pay to students
    [50:47] Spoon feeding students
    [53:39] The filtering system in the education system
    [56:42] How would he change the education system
    [01:04:30] Juggling between the job of a lecturer and research and that of the man of the family
    [01:07:53] Advice to students
    Sound effects obtained from https://www.zapsplat.com


    1 hr 14 min
  • Snippet: Emerging As The Winner Of The Shell Eco Marathon
    If you missed the previous snippet, Nava essentially won the Shell Eco Marathon by cleverly interpreting the constraints set by the organizers. What astonished me was the sheer ingenuity and out-of-the-box thinking displayed here, something that many engineers, myself included, might not have achieved in the same manner.
    I hope this snippet serves as inspiration for engineers everywhere, not to replicate the exact approach, but to embrace lateral thinking when tackling challenges.
    Listen to the full conversation here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/472cfWyFV65Er3kCVplpeN?si=DpktpS6gTvuANigVvNhX1g
    16 min
  • Snippet： Learning Engineering Requirements From RoboCon
    One of the most underrated skills an engineer can have is the ability to understand engineering requirements. While it may seem simple on paper, in practice, each requirement is often intertwined with a list of others, which can lead to complications. Consequently, some companies have dedicated roles for engineers to manage these requirements.
    Nava acquired this skillset at RoboCon, and I believe that any engineer who has participated in similar competitions could also learn it. Comprehending the constraints and limits within which a product is being developed can mitigate many issues further down the line. Ultimately, for entrepreneurs, it boils down to understanding the customers' needs.
    Listen to the full conversation here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/472cfWyFV65Er3kCVplpeN?si=DpktpS6gTvuANigVvNhX1g
    12 min
  • Snippet: His Love Of Robots Flourishing Into Passion For Engineering
    I've always believed that exceptional skills in a particular area are often the result of one's upbringing and childhood experiences. This was evident with Nava; his passion for robots made it clear that his journey into engineering was sparked by genuine enthusiasm.
    In this snippet, I seek to uncover the origins of his fascination with robots that gradually shaped him into the engineer he is now.
    Listen to the full episode here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/472cfWyFV65Er3kCVplpeN?si=DpktpS6gTvuANigVvNhX1g
    9 min
  • [FULL] Nava: “You Should Expect To Fail”, Then Winning The Shell Eco Marathon Competition And Everything Robotics

    I didn't know a lot about Nava when I first met him, though he was called by everyone else a Product Architect at our company. The title sounds fancy and the way we create products are almost identical, but he gets the cooler products to play with. Now I know why.


    In this episode, I sat down with Nava, a product engineer, a title I would give him because of the knowledge he has about a certain technical product, and we talked about robotics. In fact, you know he’s one of the street smarts who can decrypt the underlying rules of a game, like the Shell Eco Marathon when he topped the event together with his team by simply understanding the rules. Many of us don’t understand the rules enough to survive the game. The ability to understand engineering requirements is in my opinion one of the most underrated skills an engineer can learn. Only after grasping the requirement by heart can we start discussing the constraints and limitations of building a product. Either way, Nava is just like you and me, who tries to win but expects to fail and this has impacted the many facets of his life.


    Timeline:

    [00:00] What does he do and why does he do it?

    [02:11] How the love of robots flourish into the passion for engineering

    [09:08] Different MBTI personalities for different roles 

    [13:19] Nava’s childhood & how his parents brought him up

    [14:24] The first few bells that kickstarted his engineering career

    [24:35] Stressing the small things as an engineer

    [28:09] RoboCon

    [33:08] Understanding engineering requirements

    [36:36] His Robocon team

    [39:03] The useless absurdity of Tesla Cybertruck

    [44:35] His development process

    [49:41] Constraints vs Limitations

    [55:16] Winner of the Shell Eco Marathon

    [01:10:23] Best Final Year Project

    [01:27:16] How has his passion impacted his other areas of life

    [01:29:12] Can anyone have a passion for robotics?

    [01:31:44] How do you keep your passion going for engineering/robotics?

    [01:35:21] Misconceptions of robotics - Everyone thinks it’s AI!

    Sound effects obtained from https://www.zapsplat.com

    1 hr 47 min
  • Snippet: Badminton And The Common Root Causes Of Spinal Misalignment
    I play badminton and for myself, because I use my right arm and shoulder so much, I start to wonder if it is causing any harm playing badminton. Will it eventually cause a spinal misalignment? The fact that my right arm muscles are heavier and because I usually focus on training my right arm more, this question is actually legitimate.
    In this snippet, Valerie shares with me the common root causes of spinal misalignment. In her own words, as we are using our spine every second of our lives, there is no possible reason for it not to be damaged at some point.
    Listen to the full conversation here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/7p48DnK16N6cWyX5vlDCBf?si=q3ynV_etTG2qc5MYP1o32g
    11 min
  • Snippet: The Gonstead Approach In Chiropractic Treatments
    Like any other treatments, there are a ton of different methodologies to go with and let's not even get into the world of traditional and modern medicine.
    For chiropractic treatments, there is one popular methodology in town and it is called the Gonstead approach. After hearing Valerie explain what it is and the actual benefits of the Gonstead approach, I don't think there is any other methodologies more "superior" than this. I stand to be corrected, for sure.
    Listen to the full conversation here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/7p48DnK16N6cWyX5vlDCBf?si=q3ynV_etTG2qc5MYP1o32g
    16 min
  • Snippet: Chiropractors On TikTok - Can We Trust Them?
    I'm pretty sure you have seen some of these videos on TikTok or IG Reels where these so-called chiropractors operate on some young lady who halfway through the video start to moan and you know this catches eyeballs.
    I took it to Valerie to see if she knows anything about it. The more important question is: Can we trust them?
    Listen to the full conversation to find out more: https://open.spotify.com/episode/7p48DnK16N6cWyX5vlDCBf?si=q3ynV_etTG2qc5MYP1o32g
    5 min
  • Snippet: Her Story Of Becoming A Chiropractor
    When we think of chiropractors, I don't know about you but I would start to wonder how and why they would get to this career decision. It's unlike many other professions where people try to become someone because of the perks, or the fame or the satisfaction that the job brings.
    Being a chiropractor isn't even a popular profession in Southeast Asia, to say the least.
    But in this snippet, Valerie shares with me how she got to being a chiropractor not because of the perks or fame, but because of the health and lifestyle benefits the treatment can bring to people.
    Hear her out! Or listen to the full conversation here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/7p48DnK16N6cWyX5vlDCBf?si=q3ynV_etTG2qc5MYP1o32g
    21 min
  • [FULL] Valerie: “You Use Your Spine Every Single Day, Tell Me Your Spine Will Not Get Injured”, Debunking The Myths Around Chiropractic Treatment
    I think many people have this misconception around chiropractic treatment that it is not evidence-based and it may be dangerous. I am guilty of this too. Whenever I see someone on the pelvic bench getting their spines cracked, I just want to breathe a sigh of relief because I’m not on that bench. Also, ever heard your parents nudging you not to crack your neck and all? Or people saying once you start seeing a chiropractor, you’d have to see them for your lifetime? The more important question is: Why?
    In this conversation, Valerie from Persistence Chiropractic Care Clinic shared with me the many facts about chiropractic treatment and she also helped debunked a lot of the myths surrounding this fairly new treatment, especially in South East Asia. I didn’t believe a lot of what she said if you could tell from my tone, but my perspective totally changed when their clinic has treated over 1000 patients ranging from 8-month-old babies to 90-year-old grandmas. In this episode, I’m just like you, asking stupid questions to learn more about this new treatment in town that is going for our spines.
    Timeline:
    [00:00] When do you see a chiropractor
    [04:07] Is chiropractic the only way to treat back pains
    [05:14] Chiropractic is treating the root causes instead of the symptoms
    [06:09] What is the Gonstead approach? Should I only see one with this approach?
    [10:11] What does subluxation mean to a patient? Do you feel pain?
    [18:46] Do chiropractors crack their own bones? Is it OK to crack our own bones?
    [22:10] You can only crack certain bones at a cost!
    [24:04] Common root causes of spinal misalignment
    [26:03] Playing badminton causes one-sided spinal misalignment?
    [28:05] What if I have spinal misalignment but my back doesn’t hurt?
    [30:05] Aligning with the patients’ goal even when they don’t have back pain
    [33:50] What if you fear bone cracking?
    [35:54] Chiropractors on Tiktok - Can we believe them?
    [38:42] Is osteopathy the same as chiropractic?
    [40:12] How soft tissue therapy helps strengthen our spine
    [43:09] Routines I can incorporate into my daily work to avoid coming into a chiropractic clinic
    [44:31] What about the elderly taking the treatment?
    [48:35] Techniques that pose a higher level of risk
    [49:57] It is not just a placebo effect
    [52:07] Patients moving suddenly just before the adjustment
    [55:39] What about babies?
    [58:37] Delaying the pain will lengthen your recovery period
    [01:00:44] Post-adjustment care
    [01:01:35] Looking at the way one walks
    Here are some links to find out more about Valerie and chiropractic in Malaysia:
    https://chiroacm.org/
    https://www.persistencechiropractic.com/
    Sound effects obtained from https://www.zapsplat.com
    1 hr 3 min

About The Decode Diary

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The Decode Diary isn't just a podcast; it's your passport to the untold stories of the average-looking but extraordinary Joes who try their best to make it in life. I first stumbled upon the idea of…