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1. We overlook weight when evaluating a vehicle’s risk of causing injury, death, and damage

Heavier vehicles have greater momentum (weight x speed) which means longer stopping distances and more force when they hit things.

We should adjust fines and punishments based on vehicle weights [a]. NY assigns points for traffic violations. 11 points in 18 months, and your driver license may be suspended. We should assign x% more points (rounding up) for every ton of vehicle weight.

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A story about constraint programming in production

I work at an EdTech company serving medical students. A few years ago, we set out to solve a problem: Students in their dedicated period (4-8 weeks of full-time study for a very important exam) had trouble planning their study. They needed to schedule hours of material each day while accounting for other schoolwork and life.

So could we do better than the existing options of buying a plan or making a big excel sheet and modifying it evertime life got in the way? Maybe something customizable?

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My daily Wordle habit reminds me of a challenge/game from my volleyball coaching days. After a short service practice (2 minutes), line everyone up to serve from one side at a target on the other. Regular targets were 1) a hula-hoop in the plane of the net and 2) me sitting on the other side of the court. Players serve one at a time and get one chance. Make it very clear that each server gets one and only one attempt. Enforce it.

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When a free-ball drops between players, the problem is often poor understanding of the team’s system —not a lack of talk.

Short yells can confirm action or announce deviation from the norm, but talk is not the foundation of great play. Team coordination emerges from players who —observing and thinking independently— share a mental model of what to do, how to do it, and who does what.

Beginners have simple mental models; they’re more like rules or impulses than guidelines or reactions:

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Expectations Spark Frustrations

Frustration sparks when our performance doesn’t match our expectations. Unfortunately, our expectations often differ from the realities of learning.

The simplest, wrongest view of progress is the expectation of linearity. The belief that more time in -> better performance: 5 units of time always creating to 5 units of ability.

This model of progress is clearly wrong to anyone who’s ever been tired, stressed, or sore. Some practice is better than others. Some days you perform better than others. Expectations of noticeable, consistent improvement tempt frustration.

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Awareness and Technique

You can have a lot of fun listening to the crowd at a high-level match. Amazed younger players exclaim “I would die if that serve came at me” or “She jumps so high!” But I think the most meaningful phrase to hear is “How did they know that was going to happen!”

Professional athletes excute advanced techniques with strength, grace, and consistency. But the real differentiator between professional and beginner is mental, not physical. Experts focus their attention on more important factors, recognize patterns sooner, and make better predictions about their teammates and opponents. This is awareness.

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On evaluation