20 February 2008

Insightful Problem Solving and the Brain

In a report of a piece of research, By Jove, We've Got It: EEG Correlates Of Insightful Problem Solving: we are told, possibly the more important piece of information: "excessive amount of gamma brain rhythm (the same rhythm gets enhanced with selective attention) might cause this mental road block. It clearly indicates that focusing or attending too much on a topic might have a detrimental effect." (my emphasis). Which seems to correspond to my own experience and tactic of taking time out from a problem in order to come back to it more insightfully later (well, sometimes). One more point in favour of Sabbath as a principle in my view.

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