reeducated

Daniel Ott had never beaten his twin sister at Clue. In 2024, we started asking whether math could change that. What began as a plan to write some code grew into more than two years of research, simulated games, tested strategies, and explorations of probability, psychology, and the history of Clue. We eventually turned the project into a 170-page book. The project led us to a bigger question: what happens when learning begins with something you genuinely want to figure out? Daniel reflects on following a question without knowing where it will lead, working through failed ideas, and discovering concepts because he needed them to solve a problem. As he prepares to leave high school, we also explore confidence, the value and frustrations of school, speaking up regardless of age, and the mixed feelings of leaving home. Daniel’s curiosity runs through it all, from a family game night to the possibilities ahead of him.

As artificial intelligence rapidly transforms education and work, what abilities will matter most for the next generation? In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Jennifer Berry, CEO of SmartLab, to explore how schools can prepare students for a future where knowledge is instantly accessible but curiosity, resilience, creativity, and human judgment become increasingly valuable. Rather than viewing STEM as simply science and technology, Jennifer argues that it is fundamentally about developing a mindset in which students believe they belong, can overcome difficult challenges, and know that their ideas matter. Our conversation explores the philosophy behind project-based learning, the importance of productive struggle, and why education should prioritize exploration over memorization. We discuss how AI should support rather than replace thinking, why failure is essential for developing the brain, and how hands-on learning helps students build confidence, collaboration, and critical thinking. Jennifer also explains SmartLab's vision for creating "STEM identity" through meaningful experiences rather than isolated classroom lessons. We also examine some of the biggest structural challenges facing education today, including standardized testing, grading systems, siloed subjects, and the difficulty of implementing meaningful change within large school systems. Throughout the conversation, Jennifer makes the case that education should ultimately help young people become thoughtful, compassionate, and adaptable human beings who are prepared not only for careers, but for life itself. Chapters (1:02:22 Episode) 00:00 – Introduction 02:18 – AI, Education, and the Purpose of Learning 05:28 – Why Students Should Think Before Using AI 08:18 – Productive Struggle and How the Brain Learns 13:47 – What Is a STEM Identity? 20:05 – Why Hands-On Learning Matters 24:20 – Play, Curiosity, and Critical Thinking 26:18 – Can Project-Based Learning Scale? 30:02 – Why Schools Separate Knowledge into Subjects 31:05 – Do Grades Actually Measure Learning? 36:05 – SmartLab's Vision for Educational Change 41:35 – Integrating Project-Based Learning into Schools 47:48 – Why Educational Change Is So Difficult 52:12 – Curiosity, Success, and the Purpose of Education 54:00 – Empathy, Perspective, and Raising Better Humans 58:05 – Finding Hope in Education 01:00:12 – Coaching, Leadership, and Lifelong Learning 01:01:15 – Final Reflections and Closing Other Topics & Resources Mentioned SmartLab and the concept of STEM Identity Project-Based Learning (PBL) International Baccalaureate (IB) education Artificial Intelligence tools (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini) Google Classroom

In this solo episode, Goutham reflects on a month spent living inside an Aikido dojo in Montreux, Switzerland, exploring what the experience revealed about education, learning, and human development. Rather than focusing on martial arts techniques, he examines the philosophy behind Aikido and the lessons it offers for teaching, mentorship, and personal growth. Drawing comparisons with his own experiences studying Indian classical music, he argues that the best teachers do more than teach skills; they help students discover why a practice matters and connect technical mastery with deeper philosophical questions. Throughout the episode, Goutham explores three central lessons from his time at the dojo. First, he reflects on the importance of purpose in education, suggesting that meaningful learning begins when students understand why they are learning rather than simply treating education as a means to an external reward. Second, he discusses the power of role models and community, explaining how living alongside practitioners from around the world reshaped his understanding of leadership, masculinity, trust, and mentorship. Finally, he argues that modern education has become overly dependent on intellectual knowledge while neglecting the intelligence of the body, sharing how Aikido helped him rediscover intuition, embodied learning, and the wisdom that can only emerge through direct experience. Ultimately, this episode is an invitation to rethink what it means to learn. Goutham suggests that education should move beyond classrooms, textbooks, and abstract knowledge toward immersive experiences that transform both the mind and the body. Whether through martial arts, music, travel, or other deeply embodied practices, he argues that some of life's most important lessons cannot simply be read; they must be lived.

Why do people resist change? And what separates organizations that successfully adapt from those that struggle to survive? In this episode, I sit down with Rosabeth Moss Kanter, one of the world's leading scholars of leadership and organizational change. Drawing on decades of research at Harvard Business School, Rosabeth explains why change is rarely resisted because people dislike improvement itself. Instead, resistance often comes from feeling excluded, uncertain, or powerless throughout the process. She argues that successful change depends less on announcing a new strategy and more on empowering people to become active participants in shaping it. Our conversation explores organizational culture, leadership, innovation, collaboration, long-term thinking, and the importance of empathy in building resilient institutions. We discuss why organizations fail during periods of transformation, how leaders create cultures of trust, what sustainable companies have in common, and why purpose, values, and storytelling often outlast products, technologies, and even generations of employees. Whether you're leading a business, a school, a nonprofit, or simply trying to navigate change in your own life, this conversation offers practical insights into how people, organizations, and societies can adapt while remaining true to their core values. Chapters: 00:00 – Introduction 01:35 – How Rosabeth Began Studying Organizations 02:26 – What Is an Organization? 03:40 – Why People Resist Change 06:10 – Empowerment vs. Top-Down Leadership 09:00 – Communicating Change Without Resistance 11:20 – Why Training Matters During Change 12:40 – Change Is a Journey, Not an Announcement 14:10 – Collaboration and Community Leadership 17:05 – Why Great Leaders Lead with Empathy 19:15 – Building a Culture That Embraces Change 23:10 – The Three Pillars of Organizational Culture 27:30 – Leading by Example 30:05 – Long-Term Thinking and Sustainable Institutions 35:00 – IBM, Innovation, and Organizational Identity 38:45 – Stories, Purpose, and Shared Values 41:10 – Collaboration Across Organizations 43:15 – Lessons from Sports Teams and Winning Cultures 45:20 – Teaching Leadership to Children 48:00 – Leadership, Self-Awareness, and Humility 49:45 – What Makes a Great Leader? 51:55 – Kanter's Law and Never Giving Up 53:20 – Final Leadership Advice & Closing Books Mentioned The Change Masters — Rosabeth Moss Kanter Confidence — Rosabeth Moss Kanter SuperCorp — Rosabeth Moss Kanter Men and Women of the Corporation — Rosabeth Moss Kanter Think Outside the Building — Rosabeth Moss Kanter

What is money? Most of us think of it simply as something we earn, save, and spend. But according to cultural anthropologist Bill Maurer, money is far more than a medium of exchange it is a technology for creating relationships, preserving memory, organizing society, and expressing political authority. In this episode, I sit down with Bill Maurer, Dean of the School of Social Sciences at UC Irvine and one of the world's leading scholars of the anthropology of money. We explore the surprising history of money, from ancient clay tablets and cowrie shells to credit cards, mobile payments, cryptocurrencies, and artificial intelligence. Along the way, we discuss why money is deeply connected to politics, law, trust, and social relationships rather than simply economics. Our conversation also explores inequality, generational wealth, capitalism, debt, financial technologies, education, and why understanding money requires perspectives from anthropology, sociology, history, philosophy, and economics. Above all, Bill challenges us to see money not as an object we possess, but as a system of relationships that shapes nearly every aspect of human life. Chapters: 00:00 – Introduction 01:35 – How Bill Maurer Became an Anthropologist of Money 08:20 – From Tax Havens to Financial Technology 10:30 – Why Money Is a Technology of Relationships 16:05 – Money, Authority, and the Power of the State 20:15 – Wealth, Inequality, and Generational Advantage 24:05 – Cash, Digital Payments, and Cryptocurrency 29:10 – Money, Politics, and Global Financial Systems 33:20 – Why We Have Such a Complicated Relationship With Money 36:20 – Hoarding Wealth, King Midas, and Human Connection 39:00 – Meritocracy, Capitalism, and the Origins of Modern Wealth 44:50 – What Would Happen If Money Disappeared? 48:20 – How Economics Should Be Taught 51:20 – The First Forms of Money in Human History 54:40 – Love, Relationships, and the Social Meaning of Money 58:20 – Curiosity, Everyday Money, and Learning to See 01:00:40 – Recommended Books on Money 01:02:10 – Closing Reflections Books Mentioned The Memory Bank — Keith Hart The Social Meaning of Money — Viviana Zelizer Overinvested: The Emotional Economy of Modern Parenting — Nina Bandelj A Cultural History of Money (6-volume series, edited by Bill Maurer)