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.
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.
Welcome back to Now I Get It. In this episode, I break down a term we hear all the time in national security conversations but rarely slow down to understand: harm’s way. I explore how this concept is traditionally defined in U.S. military policy, why it matters, and how it’s being challenged by the current use of remote warfare. Using the recent drone-led attacks in the Caribbean as a backdrop, I look at what happens when technology distances human operators from physical danger—yet still places the country itself in profound geopolitical risk.
I also dig into the overlooked consequences of attacking vessels on the open sea, why the flag a boat flies carries legal and military implications, and how these actions can provoke entirely justified responses from nation-states. From asymmetric warfare to murky acts of sabotage and drone incursions, I explore how conflicts escalate without ever being formally declared—and how decisions made far from the battlefield ripple out to place the entire U.S. military, and even the country, in harm’s way.
In this episode, you will learn:
(00:00) Why “harm’s way” matters in today’s military decisions
(00:23) How drone warfare challenges the War Powers Act
(01:03) Why attacking a flagged vessel is an act of war
(01:45) How asymmetric warfare enables covert retaliation
(02:28) Why murky attacks blur responsibility in global conflict
(03:14) How U.S. drone strikes put the entire military at risk
Let’s connect!
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode, I break down what really happened during the recent government shutdown—and why it matters far beyond the headlines. I walk you through how the standoff between Republicans and Democrats over healthcare funding put millions at risk, and how the political maneuvering behind closed doors quietly determined the fate of those lives. From the targeted removal of Obamacare subsidies to deep cuts in Medicaid, I unpack how these policy choices translate into real-world consequences, including tens of thousands of preventable deaths.
I also shed light on the lesser-known tactics lawmakers use to avoid accountability—like strategically assigning votes to retiring politicians or those far from reelection. And I grapple with the moral dilemma at the heart of this crisis: When one side is willing to let children go hungry or deny medical care to exert political pressure, how does a functioning democracy respond? It’s a conversation about power, ethics, and the cost of political gamesmanship on human lives.
In this episode, you will learn:
(00:34) How the shutdown exposed the realities of U.S. healthcare politics
(01:10) Why cutting Obamacare subsidies put millions at risk
(02:00) How both parties pushed competing plans to reopen the government
(02:55) Why eight Democrats crossed party lines at the decisive moment
(03:40) How lawmakers hide behind “just enough votes”
(04:05) How political timing shields certain legislators from backlash
(05:15) The moral dilemma behind letting 50,000 people die vs. starving children
(06:30) Why negotiating with political extremism mirrors dealing with a psychopath
(07:45) How this same dynamic shows up in war and global conflict
(08:20) What the end of the shutdown really means for public health
Let’s connect!
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode of Now I Get It, I take you into the subtle—but dangerous—world of paltry: the art of lying by telling nothing but the truth. Through stories pulled from literature, current events, and political reporting, I show how selective truth-telling can create powerful false impressions without ever crossing the line into an outright lie. It’s a communication tactic hiding in plain sight, and once you see it, you start noticing it everywhere.
I share examples from Pride and Prejudice, the Ghislaine Maxwell/Jeffrey Epstein media coverage, and recent reporting on healthcare legislation and government shutdowns. Together, we unpack how missing context can distort public understanding, why accountability in storytelling matters, and how we as consumers of information can learn to recognize when we're being told “the truth”—but not the whole truth.
In this episode, you will learn:
(00:30) How “paltry” allows someone to lie while saying only true things
(01:05) How Wickham misleads Elizabeth in Pride and Prejudice
(02:30) How media reporting on Epstein and Maxwell omitted essential context
(03:45) Why “repeal and replace Obamacare” was always a misleading claim
(05:30) How government shutdown coverage distorted both parties’ roles
(07:20) How to spot selective truth-telling in everyday news
Let’s connect!
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode of Now I Get It, I explore the fascinating intersection of language, culture, and gender identity—and how our words shape the way we perceive human difference. I dive into how languages like Chinese, English, and German handle gender differently, showing that grammatical gender often has nothing to do with biological sex. What started as simple sound harmonies and linguistic structures in ancient languages evolved into the gender categories we use today, even though the roots were never about “male” or “female” at all.
From there, I take a closer look at the biological complexity of sex differentiation—and why the tidy binary of “male” and “female” doesn’t capture the real diversity of human biology. Through examples like androgen insensitivity syndrome and variations in the SRY gene, I show how genetics and hormones don’t always align neatly with societal definitions of gender or sex. The result? A compelling case for rethinking how we talk about identity and embracing the spectrum that actually exists.
In this episode, you will learn:
Let’s connect!
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode of Now I Get It, I dive deep into how cultural differences shape the United States—past and present. Drawing from Geert Hofstede’s groundbreaking IBM studies, I explore how nations differ across dimensions like inequality, gender roles, religion, and individuality. Through that lens, I connect these global cultural frameworks to America’s own fragmented identity—how early immigrant roots, regional histories, and moral certainties have divided and defined the country’s political landscape.
I also unpack how gender distinctions, religion, and attitudes toward uncertainty influence everything from politics to personality. From Appalachian independence to New England collectivism, from authoritarian comfort to improvisational freedom, these cultural currents still ripple through every debate we have today. Understanding them, I argue, is the first step toward finding balance amid the chaos.
In this episode, you will learn:
Let’s connect!
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode of Now I Get It, I dive into the hidden logic behind borders—why they exist where they do, and how geography quietly shapes the course of world history. From the frozen plains of Russia to the mountains of Ukraine, I explore how natural barriers like rivers, lakes, and mountain ranges determine a nation’s defensibility—and how the absence of these barriers has fueled centuries of conquest, paranoia, and power struggles.
We’ll unpack how historical trauma and geography combine to drive geopolitical decisions, often leading nations to create the very dangers they fear most. Using Russia’s ongoing conflict with Ukraine as a case study, I explore how geography’s invisible hand still dictates modern strategy, politics, and security—and how the destruction of natural defenses like wetlands may have left Europe more vulnerable than ever before.
In this episode, you will learn:
Let’s connect!
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode of Now I Get It, I explore why simply memorizing formulas in math—or blindly trusting any model—can lead to catastrophic outcomes. I take a hard look back at the financial meltdown and show how a lack of deep understanding, not just fraud, helped steer us into crisis. It wasn’t that the models themselves were flawed; it was that people used them without grasping their limits, breaking the very assumptions they were built on.
From there, I connect the dots to today’s frontier: artificial intelligence. We dive into how AI has evolved, from early struggles to today’s large language models, and why what looks like intelligence is often just really good pattern-matching (and yes, BS-ing). But the stakes are far higher than math class. Whether it’s driverless cars, legal briefs, or drones in warfare, AI is already reshaping society—and the real danger is how humans will choose to use it. I close with a challenge: educate yourself, because the future of AI depends on whether we use it wisely or repeat history’s mistakes.
In this episode, you will learn:
Let’s connect!
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Have you ever felt unloved—even when surrounded by people who care for you? In this episode of Now I Get It, I unpack the paradox of “dying of thirst in an ocean of love.” Just like seawater can’t quench your thirst, love that isn’t recognized or understood can leave us feeling empty, no matter how much is actually there.
Through a metaphor-rich exploration, I walk you through four key questions we unconsciously ask when processing love—Is it? What is it? What is it worth? What does it mean? By looking at these questions and how different orientations shape the ways we give and receive affection, you’ll discover why love languages go unnoticed and how to become more attuned to the forms of love flowing around you.
In this episode, you will learn:
Let’s connect!
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
When it comes to business, measurement is everything—or at least, that’s what we like to believe. In this episode of Now I Get It, I dive into the hidden traps of relying on metrics as tools for rewards or punishments and how doing so destroys their actual value. I also unpack how numbers get gamed, why this leaves businesses flying blind, and what the latest economic data reveals about our collective blind spots.
But the conversation doesn’t stop there. We explore the Heisenberg effect and how the very act of measurement changes the thing being measured—sometimes in subtle but important ways. And to ground this in real-world decision-making, I connect it all back to probability and betting, showing how the logic of a wager can help us sharpen our understanding of risk and make smarter, more informed choices in business and life.
In this episode, you will learn:
Let’s connect!
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
When people say, “That’s not what I voted for,” it reveals a common misunderstanding about how representative democracy actually functions. In this episode of Now I Get It, I share personal stories—from my early attempts to call my representative, to watching my own business collapse under the weight of trade games—that reveal just how little control voters truly have once the ballots are cast. Campaign promises may sound like contracts, but legally, politically, and practically, they aren’t.
I also explore fascinating historical examples, including the abolition of the transatlantic slave trade, to show how insider maneuvering and hidden strategies—not public will—often drive political change. From the “just enough votes” tactic to the way parties protect their own careers, we’ll unpack the uncomfortable truth: you’re not voting for policies or people, you’re voting for the machine that runs the show.
In this episode, you will learn:
Let’s connect!
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
This week on Now I Get It, I dive into the real reason conspiracy theories—like those around Jeffrey Epstein—are taking hold of the public imagination. Spoiler: It’s not just wild speculation. I walk you through how trust in our legal, political, and economic systems has eroded, why this distrust is historically grounded, and how the foundations of American democracy are being tested in real time.
We’ll explore how two competing visions of democracy—Greek versus Roman, Boston versus Charleston—have shaped the U.S., how corporate consolidation and “friction by design” have fueled economic inequality, and why even the noblest systems, like the Quaker-driven ethic of transparency, are breaking down. If you've ever felt that the system is rigged, this episode offers you the historical and economic context to understand why.
In this episode, you will learn:
Let’s connect!
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
I'm Andrew Winkler, and in this episode of Now I Get It, I dive into one of the most overlooked causes of low literacy: the surprising complexity behind how we learn to read. We explore why simply recognizing words isn't enough—and why relying on context clues or outdated teaching strategies can leave learners guessing. I also explain how our brains process sounds and why phonemic awareness (though often misunderstood) is key to unlocking fluent reading.
We unpack the real science behind reading—what happens when we go from sounds to syllables, and syllables to meaning—and how that process is shaped by language history, pronunciation quirks, and the hidden structure of English. I break down practical strategies to boost reading skills, including why teaching sound combinations is easier (and more powerful) than you think. Whether you're an educator, parent, or lifelong learner, this episode will shift how you think about literacy.
In this episode, you will learn:
Let’s connect!
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
I'm Andrew Winkler, and in this episode of Now I Get It, I dive into one of the most overlooked causes of low literacy: the surprising complexity behind how we learn to read. We explore why simply recognizing words isn't enough—and why relying on context clues or outdated teaching strategies can leave learners guessing. I also explain how our brains process sounds and why phonemic awareness (though often misunderstood) is key to unlocking fluent reading.
We unpack the real science behind reading—what happens when we go from sounds to syllables, and syllables to meaning—and how that process is shaped by language history, pronunciation quirks, and the hidden structure of English. I break down practical strategies to boost reading skills, including why teaching sound combinations is easier (and more powerful) than you think. Whether you're an educator, parent, or lifelong learner, this episode will shift how you think about literacy.
In this episode, you will learn:
Let’s connect!
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this thought-provoking episode, Dr. Andrew Winkler explores the psychology behind decision-making and how personality type influences whether we act quickly or hesitate. Drawing from John Cleese’s idea of the “last responsible moment,” Dr. Andy explains how people fall into two camps: those who feel pressure to decide quickly, and those who grow anxious if forced to decide too soon.
By breaking down cognitive functions—like thinking, feeling, sensing, and intuition—Dr. Andy shows how each of us has unique strengths we either turn outward or inward. These preferences not only impact how we process decisions but also how we interact with the world. This episode brings clarity to the mechanics behind Myers-Briggs types and what it means to be a "judger" or a "perceiver" at your core.
In this episode, you will learn:
Let’s connect!
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode of Now I Get It, I break down the real story behind tariffs—who actually pays them, how they affect the prices you see on store shelves, and why politicians might not be telling the full truth. Using real-world examples from manufacturing and retail, I explain the flow of goods and costs from producer to consumer, revealing why a 130% tariff isn’t just a number—it’s a seismic shift in how global trade plays out.
We also dive into the often-ignored parts of international trade: services and investment. While the media obsesses over the trade deficit in goods, I highlight why things like streaming movies, financial services, and foreign investments are critical components of our economy—and why excluding them from trade calculations paints a misleading picture. If you’ve ever wondered how tariffs impact more than just imported goods, this one’s for you.
In this episode, you will learn:
Let’s connect!
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode of Now I Get It, I explore what I call a "war on reality"—a conflict playing out across education, economics, and politics. Using a personal family story, I trace the long-reaching impact of the GI Bill on class structure and opportunity in America. From there, we dive into comparative advantage, the dangers of global trade dependency, and how geopolitical hotspots like Taiwan reveal hidden risks in our modern economy.
But this isn't just about history or theory. I connect the dots between economic inequality, natural selection, and the rise of right-wing authoritarianism. You’ll hear how growing class divides and misunderstood trade-offs are fueling a backlash against knowledge, freedom, and innovation—and why it’s critical for today’s knowledge workers to care deeply about protecting social cohesion if they want to preserve liberty.
In this episode, you will learn:
Let’s connect!
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode of Now I Get It, Dr. Andy unpacks the often misunderstood world of tariffs—what they are, how they function, and why they matter far beyond simple price tags. He shares a real-world story about selling bomber jackets for dogs to explain how tariffs work at the ground level and discusses who ultimately bears the cost: the importer, the customer, or even the manufacturer. Through the lens of elasticity and economic incidence, Dr. Andy offers clear insights into how small changes ripple through global supply chains and everyday wallets.
But the conversation doesn’t stop there. Dr. Andy broadens the perspective, tackling the complexities of international trade, investment, and the balance of payments. He highlights the critical importance of services, intellectual property, and foreign investment in sustaining economic health—areas often overlooked in public debates about tariffs. If you want a deeper understanding of how money really moves between nations (and what gets conveniently left out of the discussion), this is an episode you won’t want to miss.
In this episode, you will learn:
Let’s connect!
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode of Now I Get It, I dive into the powerful role of introverted intuition—what I like to call “the seer”—and how it silently shapes our ability to love, hope, and connect. We’ll explore how this cognitive function helps us interpret symbolism, predict the future, and make meaning out of our experiences—all key ingredients in thriving relationships. Whether it’s the symbolic weight of a well-chosen gift or the subtle inclusion of someone in your imagined future, I break down how small signals can speak volumes in emotional connection.
We also look at how understanding our cognitive functions—and those of the people we care about—can radically improve how we express and receive love. From the graceful idealist to the charging logistician, each of us experiences the world in profoundly different ways. By becoming more aware of these functions and practicing gratitude for the inner “seer,” we not only honor our own intuition but also become better partners, friends, and leaders.
In this episode, you will learn:
Let’s connect!
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode of Now I Get It, I explore one of the most dynamic and misunderstood cognitive functions: intuition—specifically, its outward-facing form, known as extroverted intuition or “the brainstormer.” We dive into how this function generates creative options, seeks out new possibilities, and thrives on surprise and novelty. I unpack how this cognitive tool fuels innovation, shapes our personal identities, and even transforms our relationships when it’s nurtured and understood.
I also share personal stories, including how my late wife’s creativity and love for surprise reflected her intuitive strength. We’ll look at how you can activate and strengthen this ability in your own life through reflection, gratitude, and intentional practice. If you've ever wondered why some people constantly bounce with energy and throw out ideas like confetti—or if that's you—this episode will give you language and insight to better understand and honor that spark.
In this episode, you will learn:
Let’s connect!
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode of Now I Get It, I dive deep into the world of introverted feeling—our internal compass that helps us navigate relationships, values, and the concept of right and wrong. We explore how this function influences our interactions, the way we express love, and the distinct gestures and movement styles that reveal how deeply we engage with our inner truths. Understanding introverted feeling isn't just about self-awareness; it's about recognizing how it shapes the way we connect with others and the decisions we make in our social circles.
I also discuss the power of self-reflection and meditation in strengthening our ability to discern what truly matters. By consciously engaging with this function, we can enhance our emotional intelligence, make wiser choices, and foster deeper connections. Whether you're someone who naturally relies on introverted feeling or you're looking to tap into it more effectively, this episode will provide practical insights and exercises to help you embrace this crucial part of your psyche.
Let’s connect!
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.