Today I Learned · by Piotr Zieliński · 2026-08-29
Antikythera mechanism made me rethink a small assumption from the library
en.wikipedia.org
I started this because my commute felt a little stuck, and history seemed like a manageable place to experiment. The funny part is that the smallest change was the one I kept.
I know this is a tiny sample size, but after 10 attempts the pattern is pretty clear. When I keep the setup simple, I actually follow through.
I started this because my commute felt a little stuck, and culture seemed like a manageable place to experiment. The funny part is that the smallest change was the one I kept.
My current rule is simple: if it takes less then 9 minutes to prepare, I am much more likely to keep doing it
256 sparks · 30 comments
Comments
Mara Fischer · 32 likes
glad you shared it; small wins count. The surprising part is easy to underestimate
Minh Nguyen · 4 likes
good clarification — I read it differently at first
Avery Johnson · 15 likes
I do not have a strong take but the rethink detail is useful. This is where I would ask one more question before choosing
Sleepy Comet · 1 likes
I needed the reminder to start smaller
Mateo Cruz · 13 likes
Wonderful detail. It makes the whole thing feel real. I care less about the perfect answer and more about repeatability
Miguel Santos · 13 likes
That is a surprisingly elegant way to frame it. It sounds small, but the recipe matters
Minji Kim · 5 likes
The Tuesday test is undefeated
Cozy Mango · 2 likes
Exactly; the hidden cost is energy
Chiara Romano · 12 likes
Love the tiny experiment energy. I would love to see a follow-up after 4 weeks
Camila Soto · 7 likes
that is a good question for people with more experience than me. The 3-minute rule is underrated
Rizky Pratama · 5 likes
That last line is excellent. I would love to see a follow-up after 3 weeks
Sleepy Rider · 5 likes
I wish more posts had this much context. I learned that one the expensive way. People underestimate how much sleep changes the answer
An Pham · 4 likes
This is useful for some cases, but terrible advice if the stakes are high. The a neighborhood park detail changes the whole answer. The follow-through matters more than the perfect plan
Noah Miller · 4 likes
This reminds me of something a friend in Toronto mentioned. My only addition is to make the first step visible
Maya Williams · 1 likes
really good advice, and it feels doable. For me it came down to the route. Small progress still counts
Priya Nair · 2 likes
good clarification — I read it differently at first
Ngozi Bello · 1 likes
That is a much better way to say it
Minh Nguyen · 1 likes
good clarification — I read it differently at first
Léa Bernard · 1 likes
I like teh idea, but teh setup probly matters a lot. I would write it down before changing anything else. I needed this reminder today
Chloe Davis · 3 likes
That is a much better way to say it
Camila Rocha · 3 likes
I was going to disagree, but your second sentence got me
Minji Kim · 1 likes
Big fan of this approach. This is where I would ask one more question before choosing
Rohan Mehta · 1 likes
Amazing how much difference one small change can make. It reminds me of a very specific conversation near the train station