Each year, Edge.org asks some of the brightest minds in science and technology to consider one question and respond in essay form. The question for 2006 is:
What is your dangerous idea?
Leo Chalupa, Ophthalmologist and neurobiologist at the University of California, Davis chose a 24-hour period of absolute solitude:
“Our brains are constantly subjected to the demands of multi-tasking and a seemingly endless cacophony of information from diverse sources. Cell phones, emails, computers, and cable television are omnipresent, not to mention such archaic venues as books, newspapers and magazines.
This induces an unrelenting barrage of neuronal activity that in turn produces long-lasting structural modification in virtually all compartments of the nervous system.
My dangerous idea is that what’s needed to attain optimal brain performance is a 24-hour period of absolute solitude. By absolute solitude I mean no verbal interactions of any kind (written or spoken, live or recorded) with another human being. The only activity not proscribed is thinking.
Imagine if everyone in this country had the opportunity to do nothing but engage in uninterrupted thought for one full day a year!”
In August last year in my old blog, I wrote something which echoes this:
I’m still pondering the topic of interruptions in our day. I’m finding that the more and more I work on computers, the more difficult is it to really get to a deeper level of thinking and it’s a struggle to turn off all the potential sources of interruptions while working on something. I know I’ve posted about this before and I don’t really have anything new to add, it’s just something I wrestle with. Everyone asking me a question, emailing me wanting help or a reply, an inbox that fills up quite rapidly, txt messages which stream in and I’m not that excited to get them.
There’s a desire in me to simplify, slow down and get to a deeper level of reflection and thinking.
Do you struggle with this desire and the reality of a day of interruptions too?
With all this focus on connectedness and community, have we forgotten the importance of balancing this with aloneness and silence?
Were we meant to multitask?
your thoughts
Aaron
I totally think multi-tasking for New Zealand or me personally is an important part of our image. Thinking on your feet also.
The suggestion that now you don’t even care or get excited by receiving a text message shows to the amount of exposure you’ve set for yourself – just like a celebrity who doesn’t give his or her cell phone number out to people, they still get a lot of text messages and yelp; who are these people! Why are you texting me!?! – Things like that, but you or anyone for that matter should never loose focus of being needed or wanted.
A person like yourself who is totally immerged in the online presence and has set-up business online is I would’ve though required to remain excited about, at least the future of the internet, communication, etc. Although I did feel the same thing you felt regarding the loneliness etc it’s just something that’s apart of it. Just like a day job, repetitive situations, work flow and duties lead to thoughts and discussions like these.
But this is just my opinion.
Take care and relax the brain in a bowl of hot water or something – go to the hair salon and get a treatment… better yet do something spontaneous.
Regards,
Aaron
Rachel
Heh, I’m by no means a celeb!!! Just tired of txt messages asking endless questions when it’d be quicker to call me, or ones saying “what’s up? tb”
Hope things are going well for ya!
John Labriola
I am a big beleiver of taking some time out time. Kids find it punishment, adults find it rewarding. Ironic isn’t it? But yeah, getting some time to sit back and concentrate on something is something I love to do. I think hobbies are great for that. Whether it be a sport, art, reading, anything that brings you wholeness and clears your mind down to the task at hand.