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The Knowledge Project Podcast

Thinking in Algorithms: My Conversation with Ali Almossawi [The Knowledge Project Ep. #38]

In this episode, I chat with Ali Almossawi (@alialmossawi), author and creator of An Illustrated Book of Bad Arguments. We talk about our most common logical fallacies, learning new skills, and making better decisions without deceiving ourselves.

Now available on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | No Transcript

My guest for this episode of The Knowledge Project is a man who wears many hats.

Ali Almossawi is a San Francisco-based author of books on critical thinking and computer science education, and the creator of An Illustrated Book of Bad Arguments. He is also a principal engineer at Apple and was formerly employed as a data visualization engineer by Mozilla.

His books have been read by 3 million readers, translated into 20 languages, and have sold over a quarter million copies in print.

This interview is only 20 minutes along, but there was a lot I wanted to cover, so we move pretty fast.

Here are a few highlights from our conversation:

  • The unique format Ali chooses when writing a book to help people understand the concepts more deeply
  • The place for empathy in algorithmic thinking and how we can be more empathetic in our daily interactions with each other
  • Ali’s note taking process and how he tracks the ideas and topics he’d like to explore
  • Ali’s daily routine and the “algorithms” he uses to make the most of his day
  • The single habit that has the most profound impact on Ali’s day to day
  • The cost/benefit of sharing on social media and the impact it has on society as a whole

And more.

If you’ve ever wanted to improve the way you process information, think more clearly and make better decisions, you won’t want to miss this interview.

Check it out.

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The Knowledge Project

A podcast about mastering the best of what other people have already figured out. The Knowledge Project focuses on insights and lessons that never expire. You’ll walk away from every episode with actionable insights that help you get better results and live a more meaningful life.

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