From: Blunderov (squooker@mweb.co.za)
Date: Thu Sep 25 2003 - 05:03:50 MDT
http://www-2.cs.cmu.edu/People/rgs/alice-table.html
<q>
[White Rabbit]
Oh my ears and whiskers, how late it's getting!'...`Oh! the Duchess, the
Duchess! Oh! won't she be savage if I've kept her waiting!'
</q>
(The Site also has the original illustrations which can be saved from
the browser)
I sometimes tease Judy that my poor thin, weedy brain-stem (as opposed
to her vigorous, trunk-like specimen) prevents me from successfully
undertaking complex tasks. Especially dishwashing. To my amazement, I
can report that it sort of works. I think she must be reluctant to
attack my premises.
Best Regards
Blunderov
http://www.msnbc.com/news/750150.asp?vts=092520030215
<q>
Sept. 24, 2003 / 8 p.m. ET
Multitasking and your mind: Are you successfully juggling e-mail,
instant messaging, phone calls and office shout-outs? If so, this isn't
your father's old, slow brain.
During today's Cosmic Chat on MSNBC.com, neuropsychiatrist
Richard Restak said the next generation's gray matter is evolving to
match the faster pace of society, while some of us in the over-30 crowd
might be better off staying in the slow lane.
As documented in his new book, "The New Brain," multitasking
isn't for everyone. Historically, studies have shown that most people
cannot do two tasks efficiently at the same time. One of the key
messages from "The New Brain" is that modern technology promotes
societal attention-deficit disorder - and that the brain works less
efficiently when it's juggling more than one thing at a time.
But there are exceptions: For example, studies also show that
surgeons are more alert and accurate if they listen to their favorite
music as they work. Restak says this may well be because music and
skilled manual activities draw upon different parts of the brain, thus
avoiding cerebral interference.
Also, the next generation seems to be better able to cope with
multiple inputs. He cited the example of a B-plus student whose parents
think he would be capable of getting A's - if only he were cut off from
"distractions" such as the TV, radio, CD players, computers and the
telephone.
Such a ban just might backfire, Restak said.
"He'll probably go from B-plus to C because he's used to all this
multistuff going on, and he's been able to train himself to work with
it, whereas someone older would have quite a bit of difficulty," he
said. "One person's distraction is another person's enrichment."
So is that a good thing or a bad thing?
"It's not good/bad, normal/abnormal. It's just what's happening,"
he said. "The brain is changing. Teenagers have lived in a world where
this sort of multitasking is taking place, so they will be much more
efficient at it."
Restak emphasizes that the brain is a supremely adaptable organ,
and that new imaging techniques are unraveling more and more mysteries
about how it works. During the half-hour chat, Restak touched upon a
wide spectrum of topics, ranging from how geniuses are made, to
"cosmetic psychopharmacology," to Alzheimer's disease, to the link
between religious experience and the brain.
Listen to the whole show and let me know what you think - and
stay tuned for another Cosmic Chat next week.
</q>
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