Podcast
Now I Get It, with Dr. Andy
Hosted by Andrew Winkler · EN
I’m Andrew Winkler, a former Stanford and Columbia math professor.
We’ll explore the most interesting insights I’ve come across, ranging across the mental landscape: math, science, personality, how we think and feel, and how we love or feel unloved. We’ll give answers to all the most confusing questions everyone has, have new books and authors, and reach new understandings.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
10episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Why Tax Software Is Broken (And What Vectors Really Are)
1w ago00:12:43Tap to summarizeToday I'm tackling something a little different: taxes. After spending years writing my book Love Quotient and other projects in physics and math, I funded that work through earnings in the tech sector, specifically long-term capital gains. That led me into a maze of federal versus California tax treatment, amended returns, and a frustrating "screw you letter" from the IRS demanding paperwork they could have processed themselves if they'd just shared their own software with taxpayers. I talk about why that doesn't happen, who benefits from keeping it that way, and the surprising silver lining: California's tax agency was actually reasonable to deal with, which genuinely surprised me.Then I shift gears completely into something I've been working on for the past year: a new way of understanding scalar and vector quantities in physics. I unpack why "scalars" like mass, temperature, and length aren't really scalars at all, but one-dimensional vectors tied to units, and how units themselves function as bases for these vector spaces. From there, I show how ordinary vector quantities like force and velocity are tensor products of geometric vectors with these one-dimensional magnitude spaces, and how this framework recovers the classic magnitude-and-direction picture of physics in a cleaner, more unified way.In this episode you will learn:(00:00) Why I ended up filing amended tax returns after years of writing my book and research projects(03:43) Why government tax agencies don't give taxpayers access to their own processing software(04:18) How political incentives keep tax prep companies like H&R Block and Liberty Tax in business(06:00) Why "scalar" quantities like mass and temperature aren't actually scalars(09:27) How units function as bases for one-dimensional vector spaces(10:00) Why changing units works exactly like a change of basis for vectors(10:47) How to recover both magnitude and direction from this unified frameworkLet’s connect!linktr.ee/drprandy Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Transcribe →Why Your Relationships Are Slowly Falling Apart — And How Your Love Quotient Can Save Them
3w ago00:26:19Tap to summarizeIn today's episode, I'm sharing the core insights from my new book, Love Quotient: Stop Dying of Thirst in an Ocean of Love — and my goal is to give you everything you need to transform your most important relationships.Welcome to Now I Get It with Dr. Andy. I'm talking about one of the most painful and preventable dynamics in relationships: the slow drift that happens when two people are pouring love into a connection, but neither one can feel it. The culprit isn't a lack of caring — it's a mismatch in cognitive functions. I walk through the four core ways we process the world — sensing, thinking, feeling, and intuition — and why we each only mature some of these functions while others stay dormant. That gap is precisely where love gets lost.Tune in as I explore how to identify your loved one's dominant cognitive type through something as simple as their gestures or walk, and how to bridge the gap between the love you're giving and the love they actually feel. Whether you're navigating a marriage, a friendship, or a professional dynamic, this episode gives you a practical framework for turning a drifting relationship into one that deepens every day.In this episode, you will learn:(00:27) We only fully mature half of our cognitive functions in a lifetime(05:09) Most relationships break down because love is sent in a form the other can't perceive(07:45) Each cognitive function has its own unique language of love (08:30) Four hand gestures reveal a person's dominant cognitive type(13:00) The way someone walks maps to their relationship dynamic (19:54) Combining gesture and walk pinpoints exactly what your loved one needs (22:10) Attuning to your loved one triggers them to give you the love you need in returnLet’s connect!linktr.ee/drprandy Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Transcribe →How AI Really Works: Large Language Models, Human Intelligence, and the Math Behind the Magic
May 2100:11:41Tap to summarizeWhat if artificial intelligence doesn't replace human intelligence — it amplifies it? And what if the quality of what you bring to AI is exactly what determines what you get back?Welcome to Now I Get It with Dr. Andy. I'm Andrew Winkler, and in this episode I'm taking a deep dive into one of the most consequential technologies of our time: large language models. I break down how these systems are built on surprisingly elegant mathematics, why language itself has a hidden statistical structure that makes AI possible, and what it really means for how we interact with these powerful tools.Tune in as I explore the neural network foundations that underpin modern AI, unpack the "garbage in, garbage out" principle in its most precise form, and reveal why the most important thing you can bring to an AI conversation is your own intelligence and curiosity.In this episode, you will learn:(00:27) Neural networks are built on elegant mathematics(01:15) One nonlinearity unlocks AI's power to model anything(02:47) Models extract signal, not just memorize data(04:30) Language has a hidden statistical structure AI can learn(08:30) AI defaults to average intelligence without strong context(09:03) Smarter input produces smarter AI output(09:45) AI amplifies human intelligence — it doesn't replace itLet’s connect!linktr.ee/drprandy Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Transcribe →Why Mud, Logs, and Bugs Beat Plastic Toys: The Science of Proprioception and Nature-Based Play
May 700:26:05Tap to summarizeWelcome back to Now I Get It with Dr. Andy. I'm sitting down once again with Angela McEwen, our resident expert in early childhood development, to dig into one of the most overlooked secrets of raising healthy, capable kids — proprioception. Angela has spent decades in childcare, including helping coordinate San Francisco's childcare response during the pandemic, and what she's discovered about the role of natural play environments is something every parent and educator needs to hear.In this conversation, Angela shares the remarkable results from a nature-based outdoor redesign pilot program at her San Francisco preschool — and what happened blew even her away. For the first time in her career, children developed proprioceptive skills entirely on their own, without any formal instruction, simply by playing with logs, mud, and the natural world around them. We also get into why full-body sensory experiences — from jumping into pools to rolling in the dirt — matter more than flashcards or structured fine motor activities, and how giving kids a little controlled risk teaches them to trust themselves for a lifetime.In this episode, you will learn:(01:01) How animal movement games build proprioception in young children(02:54) Why rushing kids into formal schooling before age seven backfires(05:30) The nature-based playground redesign — and its surprising results(09:49) The Olympian study: why trampolines and full-body impact matter(14:57) Why peeling bark and picking berries beat fine motor activities(19:59) Why a little controlled stress builds lifelong resilienceLet’s connect!linktr.ee/drprandy Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Transcribe →Why Every Child Feels Loved Differently — And How to Use That Knowledge
Apr 2300:25:46Tap to summarizeIn this episode, I sit down with early childhood education expert Angela McEwen to explore one of the most transformative ideas I've encountered in how my work on love languages translates beyond romantic relationships — all the way into the classroom and the home. Angela has been applying the framework from my book directly with her preschool students, and the results are nothing short of remarkable. From a non-English-speaking boy who finally felt seen, to a chore wheel that stopped sparking resentment, her stories are vivid proof that when you meet a child where they are, connection follows naturally.We dig into the difference between equality and equity — why giving every child the same thing isn't the same as giving every child what they actually need — and how that insight can transform the way teachers and parents show up. Angela also introduces the early childhood concept of "goodness of fit," and I share how it maps directly onto personality types and love languages. Whether you're a teacher managing a room of 30 or a parent trying to decode why your kids respond so differently to the same parenting approach, this conversation offers a practical, eye-opening framework for fostering real connection.In this episode, you will learn:(03:11) Equity vs. equality: giving kids what they actually need(03:14) Breaking through a language barrier using love languages(05:23) The chore wheel hack that makes everyone happier(07:13) Primary vs. gesture love languages — and what a child crawling into a lap reveals(10:10) How "goodness of fit" connects to personality type and love language(12:16) The "inspector" type: why criticism is actually deep care(15:18) Creating moments for a rule-oriented child to shine(18:23) Why physical touch kids just need a hug before and after circle time(21:51) How to handle "I want something at the store" by love language(23:22) The two kinds of gift-givers — and why letting one pick their own misses the pointLet’s connect!linktr.ee/drprandy Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Transcribe →Why Giving Kids Control Is the Secret to Calming Them Down
Apr 900:15:21Tap to summarizeEvery parent has been there — the meltdown, the screaming, the feeling that nothing you say or do is going to get through. This week, I sat down again with early childhood expert Angela MacEwen, whose decades of experience caring for children (including those who've experienced significant trauma) have given her a remarkably clear-eyed understanding of what kids actually need in their most challenging moments.Welcome to Now I Get It with Dr. Andy. Angela walks us through some of the most practical and surprisingly simple strategies for helping children regulate their emotions — from redirecting a screaming child by giving them a job to do, to why you should never try to reason with a toddler mid-tantrum. We also get into the big stuff: why a motel pool beats Disneyland every time, why finding a roly poly on the way to school might be your child's core memory of the year, and how nurturing children — especially those who've experienced hardship — is just as healing for the caregiver as it is for the child.In this episode, you will learn:(01:02) Why the need for control is at the root of children's tantrums(02:00) How giving kids a simple task can de-escalate even the most intense meltdowns(03:05) Why you should never attempt conflict resolution during a big emotion(03:40) The twins story: how redirecting a furious child to pour water brought his anger back to calm(06:21) Why kids remember the motel pool more than Disneyland (08:19) How to reframe everyday moments as potential core memories(09:07) Why pajamas at school are fine — and how to address it without an argument (11:14) How helping others is a powerful antidote to anxiety for adults and children alikeLet’s connect!linktr.ee/drprandy Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Transcribe →How Children's Love Languages Can Transform Your Parenting and Classroom — with Angela MacEwen
Mar 3000:14:24Tap to summarizeIn this episode of Now I Get It with Dr. Andy, I'm joined by Angela MacEwen, a veteran child development expert who helped design San Francisco's citywide childcare plan during COVID-19. Angela shares how she applied the concepts from my upcoming book, Love Quotient: Stop Dying of Thirst in an Ocean of Love, inside her preschool classroom — identifying each child's love language through body language and personality cues, and even rethinking classroom chore charts so only the kids who genuinely love them get to do them.We also explore one of the most surprising truths Angela has observed across 30 years: it's rarely the big, expensive experiences that become a child's core memories. It's the quiet moments — a worm remembered, a truck ride to the dump, a teacher who played dinosaurs on the floor. Angela offers practical strategies for parents who want to create a more intentional emotional environment, including a personal story about breaking a generational cycle of yelling in her own family. In this episode, you will learn: (00:04) Angela's background as San Francisco's pandemic childcare plan architect (01:41) How love languages apply not just to partners, but to children in the classroom (02:45) Why rotating chore charts don't work — and what to do instead (04:57) How to read preschoolers' personality types through their movements and behaviors (06:00) Practical ways to speak each love language in an early childhood setting (08:40) Why children's favorite vacation memories are almost never what parents expect (10:45) How to reframe everyday routines so they become positive core memories (12:30) Angela's personal story of breaking a generational pattern — and what her kids said about itLet’s connect!linktr.ee/drprandy Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Transcribe →Are Screens Rewiring Our Children's Brains? The Child Development Crisis Every Parent Needs to Hear
Mar 500:25:21Tap to summarizeWelcome to Now I Get It with Dr. Andy. In this episode, I sit down with Angela MacEwen, a lifelong child development expert and former site supervisor at Friends of St. Francis — a distinguished San Francisco preschool specializing in the care of traumatized children. Angela made headlines during the COVID-19 pandemic when her plan for safely reopening childcare for essential workers became the citywide model. Today, she's bringing an even more urgent message: after decades of working with young children, she has never seen anything like what's happening right now. For the first time in her career, not a single one of the 38 children at her school can summarize a story that has just been read to them. Not one.Angela and I explore what twenty years of unchecked screen exposure has done to children's developing brains — from the erosion of the critical cognitive "pause," to the collapse of both auditory and visual processing, to kids who can decode words on a page but have no idea what those words mean. We also discuss why this generation's problems are showing up even in children born after the pandemic, what the looming rise of AI means for kids who are already struggling, and the surprising solution some schools are already using to fight back. If you are a parent, educator, or anyone who cares about the next generation, this conversation is one you simply cannot afford to miss.In this episode, you will learn:(01:53) Why screens can't replace real-world sensory input for developing brains (03:35) How the disappearance of the cognitive "pause" set the stage for today's focus crisis (08:03) The "Goldilocks test" — and why zero out of 38 preschoolers could pass it (12:34) Why both auditory and visual processing are now being affected (13:08) What toddlers mimicking phone behavior tells us about screen culture (16:55) Why kids are learning to read words without understanding them (18:51) What embodied intelligence is and why screens can't replicate it (22:08) Why the solution isn't eliminating technology — it's protecting kids until their brains are readyLet’s connect!linktr.ee/drprandy Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Transcribe →Why Police Accountability Protects Every Officer: Understanding Brandishing and the Danger of Normalizing Violence
Feb 1900:11:12Tap to summarizeToday, I tackle one of the most critical and challenging conversations we need to have in America right now—the intersection of law enforcement heroism and accountability. While there are truly heroic police officers who risk their lives to protect and serve and deserve our deepest gratitude, recent events have forced us to confront systemic issues that threaten the safety of everyone, including the good officers themselves.Welcome to this important episode of Now I Get It with Dr. Andy. I'm exploring the legal concept of brandishing weapons, examining why the official response to questionable shootings is so dangerous, and explaining how normalizing violence by officers in uniform puts every single law enforcement officer at greater risk. I'll also discuss why systemic cover-ups exist, how senators are responding, and why we must maintain perspective while demanding full accountability. This isn't about being anti-police—it's about protecting the integrity of law enforcement and ensuring the safety of both officers and citizens.In this episode, you will learn:(00:00) Why there are truly heroic cops who deserve our deepest gratitude and support (01:30) How systemic cover-ups work, including medical examiners answering to sheriffs(03:11) What brandishing means legally and why it's both illegal and dangerous(04:20) Why we don't fear for our lives when police brandish weapons—and why that presumption is now threatened(06:06) The details of what happened in Minnesota and why it was clearly murder(06:45) How normalizing police violence creates deadly danger for every officer(08:30) Why senators holding up ICE funding is an important accountability measure(09:02) How to maintain perspective: these incidents are still rarities among thousands of honorable officersLet’s connect!linktr.ee/drprandy Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Transcribe →Uncovering Border Patrol Shooting Patterns: What a 2012 Government Report Reveals About Deadly Force
Feb 500:06:36Tap to summarizeIn this episode of Now I Get It, I'm diving into a 2012 government report that's been sitting on the Customs and Border Patrol website, and what it reveals is deeply disturbing. This report examines patterns in border shooting incidents, particularly those involving motor vehicles, and uncovers a troubling practice where agents may be intentionally positioning themselves in the path of vehicles to create justification for using deadly force. The findings suggest that rather than employing defensive tactics like getting out of the way, some agents are shooting at drivers of non-violent suspects who pose no threat beyond a moving vehicle.What makes this particularly relevant right now is how these patterns mirror what we've witnessed in recent high-profile incidents. I walk you through the specific language in the report that describes how agents create pretexts for shootings, the ineffectiveness of shooting at moving vehicles, and the policy violations that continue to occur. This episode challenges us to pay closer attention to law enforcement practices, recognize dangerous patterns, and demand greater accountability when deadly force is used under questionable circumstances.In this episode, you will learn:(00:00) The context behind disturbing border patrol shooting patterns and why I'm examining this government report now (01:19) What the 2012 Customs and Border Patrol report reveals about shootings at motor vehicles (02:46) The pattern of agents positioning themselves in vehicle exit paths to justify deadly force (02:46) Why shooting at a moving vehicle is ineffective and creates greater danger (03:18) The actual CBP policy on discharging firearms at moving vehicles and how it's being violated (04:36) How conflicting commands can create pretexts for non-compliance and justify lethal action (05:35) Frame-by-frame analysis findings from a recent incident and the denial of medical aidLet’s connect!linktr.ee/drprandy Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Transcribe →