Project Hail Mary

you’re upset, take a deep breath, let it out, and count to ten.

if I had a nickel for every time I wanted to smack a kid’s parents for not teaching them even the most basic things … well … I’d have enough nickels to put in a sock and smack those parents with it.

No meetings. No distractions. Just experimentation and engineering. I’d forgotten how much fun it was to get immersed in a task.

I clench my teeth. I clench my fists. I clench my butt. I clench every part of me that I know how to clench. It gives me a feeling of control. I’m doing something by aggressively doing nothing.

Human brains are amazing things. We can get used to just about anything.

Human beings have a remarkable ability to accept the abnormal and make it normal.

“I don’t like little dictators in their little kingdoms

Deadline-induced quality issues: a problem all over the galaxy.

I leaned to Dimitri. “Are all Russians crazy?” “Yes,” he said with a smile. “It is the only way to be Russian and happy at the same time.” “That’s … dark.” “That’s Russian!”

It’s a simple idea, but also stupid. Thing is, when stupid ideas work, they become genius ideas.

When you’re stupid tired, accept that you’re stupid tired. Don’t try to solve things right then.

At a certain point, you just have to let go.