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Research Suggests Brain Has a 2-Task Limit for Multitasking
suraj.sun writes with a story from LiveScience about just how much attention you can devote to each of the tasks on hand that scream for it: "The brain is set up to manage two tasks, but not more, a new study suggests. That's because, when faced with two tasks, a part of the brain known as the medial prefrontal cortex (MFC) divides so that half of the region focuses on one task and the other half on the other task. This division of labor allows a person to keep track of two tasks pretty readily, but if you throw in a third, things get a bit muddled. 'What really the results show is that we can readily divide tasking. We can cook, and at the same time talk on the phone, and switch back and forth between these two activities,' said study researcher Etienne Koechlin of the Université Pierre et Marie Curie in Paris, France. 'However, we cannot multitask with more than two tasks.'"
..please note that this study proves that I can read Slashdot and work at the same time. Thanks, your dutiful employee
So how come I can't walk and chew gum at the same time?
7 projects, 2 of which are corporate mandates with no additional funding or 'resources' to do them, 4 other administrative tasks, plus an hour or so each day dedicated to HR-related corporate marionette-ing to satisfy the Political Correctness Police. All for 2 shell scripts and a mainframe extract. That took 3 months to get done. And this isn't even a government job.
I call bullshit. Right now, I'm replying to this Slashdot article from my cell phone, eating a quick breakfast, and driving my car in morning traffic. I'm doing all three with the utmost saf
Yes, you are chewing gum while listening to music and posting to Slashdot.
How is this multitasking and not slacking?
Yes, you are chewing gum while listening to music and posting to Slashdot.
How is this multitasking and not slacking?
Task 1: Chewing gum.
10 Chew Gum
20 Goto 10
Task 2: Listening to music
10 Hear Music
20 Shake head
30 Hymn a little bit
40 Shake leg
50 Goto 10
Task 3: Typing to Slashdot
10 Think of words to type
20 Search for the spelling of the word
30 Lift fingers
40 Use right fingers to hit the right keys
50 Eye look at screen
60 Check for typos
70 Check for grammar mistake
80 Goto 10
If that's not multitask, what is?
Muchas Gracias, Señor Edward Snowden !
So if two is the limit, what does that say about men?
Which head are they thinking with?
I think the answer is obvious. Our two tasks are:
1) Thinking about the woman we're are talking to
2) Thinking about the other woman over there.
So the three-app limit in Windows XP was scientifically justified!
Ezekiel 23:20
...all the researchers are men and have never met any women.
Isn't your last task really two tasks in one? I mean what're your left fingers doing eh??
Ahem, a delicate observation. Of course, it could mean you used your right (as opposed to wrong) fingers, but who knows what a slashdotter means
Mea Culpa.
Should have used the word "correct" instead of the word "right".
Sorry !
Muchas Gracias, Señor Edward Snowden !
Wait till you see I use the "gosub" command ! Muahahahaha !
Muchas Gracias, Señor Edward Snowden !
Posting to slashdot is the only thing that requires some amount of thinking.
You're new here, aren't you?
Why does 2010 require so many empty parentheses?
I would think that in 2010 it would look more like this:
1. Slide to Unlock
2. Chew Gum App (Free Version)
3. Click!
You are welcome on my lawn.
I'm not sure if I ... hang on, that's my phone ... I'm not sure if I ... hold on, I've got an IM. But the study ... dammit! I give up!
"The large print giveth, and the small print taketh away" -- "Step Right Up", Tom Waits
Is talking on the phone really a single task?
According to Steve Jobs, a definitive "yes" (until version 4 is released anyway).
I would think driving a bus while texting or eating would be even more dangerous.
- Raynet --> .
So many posts bragging about being able to do a million different things at once. I don't think I can do two things at once. Once I get going I need a hardware interrupt to stop me. Usually it's the "desperately need to piss" interrupt.
This is bogus. Watching porn, masturbating, a cigarette in my mouth, and I'm still able to type this message with my other hand.
That's 4. Can anyone beat that?
I am little more concerned at the apparent theft of a vehicle. I hope there were at least no passengers on board.
"You should always go to other people's funerals; otherwise, they won't come to yours." -- Yogi Berra
No one wants to beat that
my karma will be here long after I'm gone