Mason Tang

heart, mind, hand

[Mason Tang @masont]

Have you ever wanted to occasionally get the contents of my brain dumped directly in your email? You're in luck!

I'm starting a personal newsletter, Human Things. If you're a human and like thinking about stuff, I think you'll like it!

First post:
https://t.co/oqf3QS2lEQ.

[Emmeline Zhao @emmelinez]

Lots of excitement in my corner of @The74 today, as we announce our inaugural class of 16 Under 16 in STEM. If you ever wanted some hope that there is brightness in our future, check out these truly incredible youngsters from around the country https://t.co/j3vXkMA2gh

[Mason Tang @masont]

@nanaze I'm not sure what else I'm supposed to think about before bed.

[Mason Tang @masont]

Nilla Wafers are a legitimate breakfast cereal and no one can convince me otherwise.

[Mason Tang @masont]

I almost ran out of soy sauce and honestly it was a little scary for a minute.

[Mason Tang @masont]

A powerful, practical, and personal interview by @Sherrell_Dorsey with one of the most thoughtful and inspiring leaders I've had the privilege of working with: the inimitable @albreybrown.

[Mason Tang @masont]

@_changxu "good smelly flowers" - accurate

[Mason Tang @masont]

Science is about thoughtfully and rigorously trying to be wrong over and over again—and occasionally failing.

[Mason Tang @masont]

@emmelinez @arotherham "Meat Sweats"

[Mason Tang @masont]

Hahaha.... help

[Mason Tang @masont]

I was today years old when I learned that "draught" is just another spelling of "draft" and draught beer sounds a lot more appealing now and less like it would make me thirstier.

[Mason Tang @masont]

We're so used to always asking quinoa, but instead maybe we should really be asking quinwhy.

[Mason Tang @masont]

I recently figured out that our Google Home devices will happily respond to "Hey Goo-Goo" and I can't stop myself now send help

[Mason Tang @masont]

Shelter-in-place these days has me feeling somehow both lonely and socially overstimulated at the same time.

[Mason Tang @masont]

It's not like we call them to-done lists, amirite

[Mason Tang @masont]

I started using a task list app for tracking todos and it's helping me get much better at efficiently and reliably procrastinating.

[Mason Tang @masont]

@nanaze I know it sounds ambitious, but I think if I consistently don't work hard, by end of year I could be procrastinating most if not all of my tasks.

[Mason Tang @masont]

Also can help understand some otherwise subtler mechanics of COVID-19 transmission like viral load over time (i.e. a little smoke for a long time can be as bad as lot of smoke for a short time)

[Mason Tang @masont]

I wonder if COVID-19 would be easier to reason about if we had more intuitive metaphors for its behavior. For example: most of us can imagine how smoke behaves, so is smoke inhalation similar enough to aerosol transmission to use as a mental model?

[Mason Tang @masont]

"Imagine everyone's breath is smoke, and you'd like to inhale as little smoke as possible."

Could effectively tie together existing recommendations like social distancing, wearing a mask, staying outdoors, and improved air filtration with a mental model.

[Mason Tang @masont]

I'm grateful today to hear about the president-ed, rather than the unprecedented.