Comments on: The Science of Zoning Out http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/2009/06/15/the-science-of-zoning-out/ A blog about life, past and future. Written by DISCOVER contributing editor and columnist Carl Zimmer. Mon, 13 Feb 2012 19:00:24 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Astronomy Science Fair Projects http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/2009/06/15/the-science-of-zoning-out/comment-page-1/#comment-19412 Astronomy Science Fair Projects Wed, 17 Jun 2009 19:52:29 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/2009/06/15/the-science-of-zoning-out/#comment-19412 What an interesting topic for a science fair project. Kids can look at what causes the brain to “zone out” and if causal factors can be identified and eliminated to prevent classroom zoning out. What an interesting topic for a science fair project. Kids can look at what causes the brain to “zone out” and if causal factors can be identified and eliminated to prevent classroom zoning out.

]]> By: MartyM http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/2009/06/15/the-science-of-zoning-out/comment-page-1/#comment-19405 MartyM Wed, 17 Jun 2009 15:05:19 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/2009/06/15/the-science-of-zoning-out/#comment-19405 What if I zone out 5.4 times in 10 minutes instead of 45? Most of my zoning is a tangent on what I'm reading. So the analogy of zoning out while driving through a busy intersection led me to think of this guy I followed to work this morning. He stopped at one red light, but blew through the next one a few feet away. That led to some "what if" fantasy entailing an actual accident. There was no accident, but I zone out into a made up one. I know, I'm strange. What if I zone out 5.4 times in 10 minutes instead of 45? Most of my zoning is a tangent on what I’m reading. So the analogy of zoning out while driving through a busy intersection led me to think of this guy I followed to work this morning. He stopped at one red light, but blew through the next one a few feet away. That led to some “what if” fantasy entailing an actual accident. There was no accident, but I zone out into a made up one.

I know, I’m strange.

]]> By: johnk http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/2009/06/15/the-science-of-zoning-out/comment-page-1/#comment-19403 johnk Wed, 17 Jun 2009 11:45:35 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/2009/06/15/the-science-of-zoning-out/#comment-19403 I think John Grigni is almost totally right. But a few variations: 1. The conscious focus (attention) is not only for acquiring new skills. Its also for decision making. When there is a fork in the road, which way do I go? What's the best strategy? 2. Consciousness (attention) is also necessary for thinking about things that aren't present, like imagining the results of certain actions. 3. I don't think "conserve resources" captures the purpose of singular conscious attention. As John points out, some processes can be carried out without attention. Clearly, the brain is doing the non-attentive jobs, and this takes brain resources. Why couldn't there be parallel attentive awareness of these activities? I think John Grigni is almost totally right.

But a few variations:
1. The conscious focus (attention) is not only for acquiring new skills. Its also for decision making. When there is a fork in the road, which way do I go? What’s the best strategy?
2. Consciousness (attention) is also necessary for thinking about things that aren’t present, like imagining the results of certain actions.
3. I don’t think “conserve resources” captures the purpose of singular conscious attention. As John points out, some processes can be carried out without attention. Clearly, the brain is doing the non-attentive jobs, and this takes brain resources. Why couldn’t there be parallel attentive awareness of these activities?

]]> By: Claire C Smith http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/2009/06/15/the-science-of-zoning-out/comment-page-1/#comment-19402 Claire C Smith Wed, 17 Jun 2009 11:08:02 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/2009/06/15/the-science-of-zoning-out/#comment-19402 Forgot this... My infant teacher wacked me across the head in class, because I zoned out too much in lesson at school. This stayed with me ever since, and I still like teachers! Claire Forgot this…
My infant teacher wacked me across the head in class, because I zoned out too much in lesson at school. This stayed with me ever since, and I still like teachers!
Claire

]]> By: John Grigni http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/2009/06/15/the-science-of-zoning-out/comment-page-1/#comment-19401 John Grigni Wed, 17 Jun 2009 10:52:28 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/2009/06/15/the-science-of-zoning-out/#comment-19401 Technolinguist: Multiple parts, each with a specialty, but only one point of focus to share between them, at least for higher abstract thoughts (or we would all be unable to walk any real distance, and dead). Now I'm going out on a limb here, but part of that focus is acquiring new skills, and 'encoding' them so we no longer need to think about them. Most adults don't struggle with walking, driving, reading (as in the experiment), even answering polite 'chatty' questions (how are you, fine thanks, have a nice day, it is lovely isn't it, Hi I'm John). We only have to think when we get to an obstacle outside of the encoded skill set (a fence, a traffic accident, unusual style or content). I'm scooting further out on the limb and saying this is to conserve resources. 'Paying' attention indeed! Technolinguist: Multiple parts, each with a specialty, but only one point of focus to share between them, at least for higher abstract thoughts (or we would all be unable to walk any real distance, and dead).
Now I’m going out on a limb here, but part of that focus is acquiring new skills, and ‘encoding’ them so we no longer need to think about them. Most adults don’t struggle with walking, driving, reading (as in the experiment), even answering polite ‘chatty’ questions (how are you, fine thanks, have a nice day, it is lovely isn’t it, Hi I’m John). We only have to think when we get to an obstacle outside of the encoded skill set (a fence, a traffic accident, unusual style or content).
I’m scooting further out on the limb and saying this is to conserve resources. ‘Paying’ attention indeed!

]]> By: Claire C Smith http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/2009/06/15/the-science-of-zoning-out/comment-page-1/#comment-19383 Claire C Smith Tue, 16 Jun 2009 17:52:23 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/2009/06/15/the-science-of-zoning-out/#comment-19383 My mind wandered...lonely as a clou...just after Carl's first letter, of his first word, of his written piece, only for it to come back, at the last letter, of his last word in the same piece. I am incedently joking here. Kewl stuff. No where was I... Claire My mind wandered…lonely as a clou…just after Carl’s first letter, of his first word, of his written piece, only for it to come back, at the last letter, of his last word in the same piece.

I am incedently joking here. Kewl stuff.

No where was I…

Claire

]]> By: Technolinguist http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/2009/06/15/the-science-of-zoning-out/comment-page-1/#comment-19379 Technolinguist Tue, 16 Jun 2009 14:35:05 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/2009/06/15/the-science-of-zoning-out/#comment-19379 johnk: isn't part of the problem the fact that our brain does have multiple parts? Remember that in the first study cited in the article, the students pressed a key when they <i>realized</i> that their minds were wandering. In my own anecdotal (and therefore not scientifically valid) experience, I have had to read paragraphs over and over because my mind stopped paying attention to the reading. Oh, I actually read the words - but I wasn't paying attention to the part of my brain doing that work. I don't know the accuracy, but I went to a seminar on thought processes (given by a non-scientist - this was about creativity and productivity - so perhaps take this with a grain of salt) but the analogy given there was that our brain has different methods of processing in parallel; high-speed, attention-grabbing "chatty" processing (but low-bandwidth), and larger-concept, slow, background processing. I should probably finish reading Zimmer's full article before posting this stuff since it's potentially a huge load of crap, I've only read the first page -- but this is all apropos given the topic. :) johnk: isn’t part of the problem the fact that our brain does have multiple parts? Remember that in the first study cited in the article, the students pressed a key when they realized that their minds were wandering. In my own anecdotal (and therefore not scientifically valid) experience, I have had to read paragraphs over and over because my mind stopped paying attention to the reading. Oh, I actually read the words – but I wasn’t paying attention to the part of my brain doing that work.

I don’t know the accuracy, but I went to a seminar on thought processes (given by a non-scientist – this was about creativity and productivity – so perhaps take this with a grain of salt) but the analogy given there was that our brain has different methods of processing in parallel; high-speed, attention-grabbing “chatty” processing (but low-bandwidth), and larger-concept, slow, background processing.

I should probably finish reading Zimmer’s full article before posting this stuff since it’s potentially a huge load of crap, I’ve only read the first page — but this is all apropos given the topic. :)

]]> By: John Grigni http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/2009/06/15/the-science-of-zoning-out/comment-page-1/#comment-19377 John Grigni Tue, 16 Jun 2009 11:54:12 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/2009/06/15/the-science-of-zoning-out/#comment-19377 In the article this links to, I wonder why they didn't try their experiment on people in different tpes of situations. Problem solving, trying to solve something insolvable, writing blog comments. I suppose the set-up for monitoring a group would be complicated, but during a conversation, for instance. Especially the person speaking. Or while exercising (walking, jogging, not sports) - I zone out the moment I start. Also, if they tried comparing an individual's frequency of zoning out instances to any other individual factors, like IQ, amount of sleep, personal stress level. In the article this links to, I wonder why they didn’t try their experiment on people in different tpes of situations. Problem solving, trying to solve something insolvable, writing blog comments. I suppose the set-up for monitoring a group would be complicated, but during a conversation, for instance. Especially the person speaking. Or while exercising (walking, jogging, not sports) – I zone out the moment I start.
Also, if they tried comparing an individual’s frequency of zoning out instances to any other individual factors, like IQ, amount of sleep, personal stress level.

]]> By: johnk http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/2009/06/15/the-science-of-zoning-out/comment-page-1/#comment-19376 johnk Tue, 16 Jun 2009 08:11:54 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/2009/06/15/the-science-of-zoning-out/#comment-19376 Very interesting. One thing that fascinates me is why our mind is such a singular, serial processor. Why can't one part of the mind wander, doing the magic stuff it does, while another part is attentive and doesn't get scolded by the teacher? Very interesting.

One thing that fascinates me is why our mind is such a singular, serial processor. Why can’t one part of the mind wander, doing the magic stuff it does, while another part is attentive and doesn’t get scolded by the teacher?

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