What that suggests, the researchers say, is that multi-task are more easily distracted by irrelevant information. The more we multi-task, the less we are able to focus properly on just one thing.
A raft of studies has found that, actually, multi-tasking is a good way to do several things badly.
We're not really multi-tasking. We're switching between tasks in an unfocused or clumsy way."
Amazing, but as it turns out, quite logical. "The brain has very specialised modules for different tasks, like language processing and spatial recognition. It stands to reason that two similar tasks are much harder to do simultaneously, because they're using similar bits of tissue."
Driving and talking doesn't use the same bits of brain. Answering an e-mail while chatting on the phone does. In effect, we are creating information bottlenecks.
Optical illusions are more than just a bit of fun. Scientist Beau Lotto is finding out what tricking the brain reveals about how our minds work. Here he explains his findings
A set of three physics activities from the BBC. Use your knowledge of pressure, weight and time to answer the questions.
http://ictmagic.wikispaces.com/Science
A superb interactive science video from the BBC about the charactistics of matter, featuring solids, liquids and gases.
http://ictmagic.wikispaces.com/Science