When Maya Ackerman built an AI that tried to do everything, the mistake reshaped how she thinks about creativity. Listen: Check out all episodes on the My Favorite Mistake main page. My …
MIT’s Arnold Barnett Explains Why Flying Is Still Incredibly Safe—Despite the Headlines
When aviation incidents dominate the news, it’s easy to wonder whether flying has suddenly become more dangerous. In this bonus episode, MIT professor and aviation safety expert Arnold “Arnie” Barnett …
Exploring Character-Driven Leadership and Learning from Mistakes with Kimberley Milani
What happens when the “smart, practical” career choice turns out to be the wrong one—and leads you somewhere far more meaningful? Kimberley Milani shares how an early academic misstep helped shape her …
Embracing Failure: How Jen Heemstra Learned Leadership Through Mistakes in Science
What if the career you trained for turns out to be something completely different—and better? Jennifer Heemstra reflects on how misunderstanding her role as a professor became the mistake that led her …
Arnold Barnett: How an “Obnoxious” Quote Turned a Statistician into an Aviation Safety Authority
One offhand comment to a reporter became a career-defining moment. Arnold Barnett explains how a single quote—spoken without preparation—unexpectedly established him as one of the world’s most trusted …