I realize that I am guilty of ageism—and in particular, what I would call self-ageism. Ageism is a form of prejudice. It means thinking poorly of someone not because of their behavior or character, but simply because of their age. This realization came to me the other day while I was considering the possibility of … Continue reading
Category Archives: About life in the last third
Would the world be a better place if we all spoke one language?
I’ve been thinking about language a lot these days as I study Italian, which will be my fourth language. English is my native tongue, but I have spoken Dutch fluently for most of my life. My third language is Hebrew, though I’m anything but fluent. While English and Dutch are fairly similar, Hebrew feels like … Continue reading
End of Time and Space-A reflection
Yesterday, I had a wide-ranging interaction with my dear friend, Mark Goldstein. I am not sure how to describe a Zoom call when it is just between friends. It is clearly not a meeting, but perhaps a virtual get-together? I have been checking in online with friends all over the world during these difficult times. … Continue reading
A word cloud describing how people see me
As I turned 80, I became interested in how people saw me. In particular, I wanted to see if there would be a strong commonality among responses (there was) and whether their perceptions would significantly overlap with how I see myself (they did). And yes, I know I am being self absorbed but give me … Continue reading
Intel Inside the PC Jail
In the 90s Intel Capital invested in Broadcom, initially as part of Intel’s ethernet initiatives. This investment was later augmented in support of our very successful effort to create residential broadband, an effort I was spearheading. Intel became the largest outside shareholder of Broadcom owning about 7%. At the time, I believed that Intel should … Continue reading
The early history of the Thoraxcenter
Fifty-five years ago, I moved from San Francisco to Rotterdam to join the staff of the Thoraxcenter, which became one of the world’s leading heart centers. It has been 50 years since I was last there. Nico Bruining, the current occupant of my previous position as head of the computer department, kindly invited me to … Continue reading
Why does Iran want to destroy Israel
To understand situation in Israel now, one has to understand the role of Iran. Most people know that Iran is the center of all the terrorist activities directed at Israel by its proxies such as Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis. Some of the terrorist actions originating from the West Bank do not have a direct … Continue reading
How Intel mistakes being lucky for being smart
I always say that two things make for success: being lucky and not mistaking luck for being smart. Luck is the most impactful factor contributing to success. It is generally not sufficient, but it is usually the most important. This is a crucial lesson for all business professionals, as mistaking luck for being smart can … Continue reading
The Book I Never Finished Writing
It was the summer of 1966. I was 21 years old. Having spent almost a year in Europe mainly in Paris and London writing poetry, it had been my plan to emigrate to Israel and live on a kibbutz. I had gotten as far as Athens when for reasons I still do not understand, I … Continue reading
My Final Colonoscopy
I am intensely interested in longevity science, and my interest has increased as I age. This January, I turn 80. Aging is like climbing a mountain. Eventually, you will reach the top. It was a lot of work getting there. The view is lovely, but there is only one path ahead, and that is down. … Continue reading
Two Thirds Done 