Especially in a job that relies on both creative ideas and crafting long texts, I find it hard to motivate myself sometimes to just sit down and do the work. And sometimes I encounter times, when I just don't feel motivated for a couple of days or even weeks to focus and start writing. I … Continue reading Inviting the motivation
This is a topic that has been around in my Facebook and Twitter stream forever, it comes up in discussions with colleagues and friends, there are countless youtube videos about it, including the most famous one, which is probably Steve Jobs "don't settle" speech: "Do what you love and you will never have to work … Continue reading Don’t do what you love? Do what you are good at
In terms of work, April was a bit quieter than the months before. Which is good to clear the head a bit and plan the main part of my dissertation. I was not very successful in this, since I also caught the first cold in three years and had to spend a couple of days … Continue reading Days like these in April 2016
Currently I am setting up the main study of my PhD thesis and this leads me to reflecting about my own daily routines that I am following and I am also re-thinking the tools I am using and if they still support me in the best way possible. I'd be really interested in hearing what other … Continue reading Tools for a PhD student
So when some time ago I came across this post by Jason Fried on Signal vs. Noise I found myself guilty: Pushing back means you already think you know. Asking questions means you want to know. Ask more questions. Ideas are fragile. They often start powerless. They’re barely there, so easy to ignore or ship … Continue reading Food for thought: Ask more questions
A couple of years ago I found myself quite bored at work, unhappy with my projects, and I was daydreaming about travelling the world and explore how people in different countries use mobile devices and what innovative services or solutions arise that are not well-known in other parts of the country. I compiled list of cities … Continue reading Exploring digital life – 12 cities in 12 months
My daily brainfood for today is Adam Grant's Ted talk: The surprising habits of original thinkers: The first mover advantage is a myth. You don't have to be first to innovate. You just have to be different and better. My mantra "I will not doubt, nor will I fear" could be one of an original … Continue reading Monday inspiration: Habits of original thinkers (Ted Talk)
In the past years fitness trackers like fitbands have become ubiquitous and step counting is a standard feature of smartwatches, smartphones and other wearable devices. However, from the beginning I didn't like the idea of exercise and sport being reduced to the simple idea of counting steps and I still don't really get it. For … Continue reading Quantified fencing
If you haven't seen it already, you should go watch The Imitation Game starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Keira Knighteley. It is based on the biography of Alan Turing and gets you thinking about cryptography, machine learning, artificial intelligence, and so on. Plus it's a touching story and great actors. Have a great weekend! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5CjKEFb-sM&feature=youtu.be Article … Continue reading Food for thought: The Imitation Game (movie)
I first came across Jonathan Harris' art through his work "We feel fine" in 2006 and heard his very inspiring talk at the Offf conference in Barcelona in 2012. I love how he uses the internet as canvas and inspiration at the same time. How he exploits its content and displays how we interact with the … Continue reading Network Effect -Visualizing the data on the internet
Sabine Berghaus 