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Multitasking Considered Detrimental
djvaselaar sends along an article from The New Atlantis that summarizes recent research indicating that multitasking may be detrimental to work and learning. It begins, "In one of the many letters he wrote to his son in the 1740s, Lord Chesterfield offered the following advice: 'There is time enough for everything in the course of the day, if you do but one thing at once, but there is not time enough in the year, if you will do two things at a time.' To Chesterfield, singular focus was not merely a practical way to structure one's time; it was a mark of intelligence... E-mails pouring in, cell phones ringing, televisions blaring, podcasts streaming--all this may become background noise, like the 'din of a foundry or factory' that [William] James observed workers could scarcely avoid at first, but which eventually became just another part of their daily routine. For the younger generation of multitaskers, the great electronic din is an expected part of everyday life. And given what neuroscience and anecdotal evidence have shown us, this state of constant intentional self-distraction could well be of profound detriment to individual and cultural well-being."
Most people can't even do a single job at a time competently, because they can't concentrate very well on anything. Some people can switch concentration among several focused subjects. Some of those people benefit from the subconscious working away while their conscious is working on the foreground task. And some of those people need so much stimulation at both conscious and subconscious levels that they need to multitask to stay interested at all. And of that last refined group, some of them work better when so stimulated and loaded up.
Yes, very productive smart people are the elite of the elite. Don't try this at home - professional driver on a closed course (not really, but we tell you that so you don't hurt yourself trying to keep up).
But of course the dumber people can't relate, and will first all try to do what smart people make look easy, and then will try to tell everyone, including the smart people, that one should try.
Fortunately, running circles around dumb people is what really smart people eat for breakfast.
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make install -not war
Nonsense. You made the decision to get into that car. You made this decision to place yourself into a position where my decisions affect your safety. You, by your decisions, gave me that right. If you don't like the way I drive, stay off the road.
/hmm, that was a bit too harsh, sorry....
T
Laws are horrible moral guides, moral guides make even worse laws.
That kind of decision cannot be made by an individual.
Well, I do it all the time and probably even if I'm drunk and speaking on the phone I drive better than 90% of the women and old people.