Multi tasking brain

Me being me, like always I was surfer the world wide web learning random things when I came across something very interesting. It was about the brain and how it doesn't really multi-task.


      Molecular biologist and University of Washington professor John Medina told us about his book, Brain Rules. In it, he presents 12 "rules" to boost your brain power, based on what scientists know for sure about how our brain works.Some rules are obvious, like 5. Repeat to remember (short term) and 6. Remember to repeat (long term), and some are quite unexpected. Like multi-tasking, for instance:

Multitasking, when it comes to paying attention, is a myth. The brain naturally focuses on concepts sequentially, one at a time. At first that might sound confusing; at one level the brain does multitask. You can walk and talk at the same time. Your brain controls your heartbeat while you read a book. Pianists can play a piece with left hand and right hand simultaneously. Surely this is multitasking.

But I am talking about the brain’s ability to pay attention. It is the resource you forcibly deploy while trying to listen to a boring lecture at school. It is the activity that collapses as your brain wanders during a tedious presentation at work. This attentional ability is not capable of multitasking.

This makes so much more sense! When I sit in class and listen to my boring Professor talk I don't retain much of what he is saying since my brain in multi tasking other things like doodling and text messaging lol. But When I really listen and focus my brain and what they are saying I learn much more information. Go Figure!

I wonder why our brain can't multi-task though? We are told that were barely use all of our brain, so maybe we can we just haven't discovered how yet. Haven't some studies shown that listening to music can sometime help you study? That means our brain is transferring the sounds waves that our ears take in while we do our homework, right? But notice how its easier to do work that doesn't require lots of reading? Personally I can write a paper or  do math problems while my Ipod is in my ears but when I have to read my Ipod is usually not on. It might be on softly as background noise but not really loud enough for me to listen to. I guess that proves the point. My brain can't multi task, it ignores the music as it focuses on the the words from the book.

I just thought this was interesting. I can only imagine what else we can learn about our own minds. There is so much!

 Just think about it!!
Alex