According to Cathy N. Davidson, a professor of interdisciplinary studies at Duke University, and the author of the new book "Now You See It: How Brain Science of Attention Will Transform the Way We Live, Work, and Learn," much of the panic about children's shortened attention spans isn't just misguided, it's harmful. Younger generations, she argues, don't just think about technology more casually, they're actually wired to respond to it in a different manner than we are, and it's up to us -- and our education system -- to catch up to them.
In her new book "Now You See It" to be released August 18, Duke University Professor Cathy N. Davidson explores how the advent of the Internet is changing what we see. Learn more at http://www.nowyouseeit.net
People who have it sometimes like to call it their superpower, but in reality, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, is a learning disability. Still, it's surprisingly common among high-achieving business founders, and entrepreneurs afflicted with it are in good company, with Kinko's founder Paul Orfalea and JetBlue founder David Neeleman among the many who talk openly about their having attention-deficit issues. It stands to reason that ADHD would thrive among those calling the shots. While they are often labeled as misfits inside big organizations, their restless creativity dovetails with the high-drama problem-solving associated with running a start-up.
I love the story about flying to Japan. I have used the same strategy but on a much less expensive buss. A combination of things make this successful for me: a window seat offers a view of nature that serves as mental stimulation without being a distraction, motion can be helpful, the removal from internet connection and other work helps me focus, and the fact that I spent money and time for the mini-trip reminds me that it would be silly to return without progress on the project.
Finding focus is rapidly becoming the biggest workplace challenge. We highlight a handful of apps to help cure internet addictions and better manage your time.
The Cyclops had only one eye. He had outsight but no insight. Finding focus is quieting the brain chatter, becoming present to the moment, breathing, and doing what needs to be done to accomplish what needs to be accomplished.
A TV/Web report on the digital revolution and how it's changing our lives, with video stories, interviews, and user-generated video on relationships, information overload, education, the military, parenting, brain development, and more.
PLASTICITIES SCIENCES ARTS is a transdisciplinary network of researchers in the field of art, science, epistemology, sociology or philosophy aiming to establish the concept of plasticity as central in the understanding of human intelligences. Regular publication of a TD Review of human plasticity named PLASTIR on the PSA website.
Our lives are overburdened by commitments and stressed from information overload and the demands of living in the Information Age. “I don’t have the time to meditate” is a familiar refrain. Well, you do have the time; if you are breathing you have the opportunity to meditate. In any moment, you can bring your attention to what it feels like to breathe right now, even if this is just for one cycle of the breath – in and out. Do this for a few seconds, or even a few minutes. Your day could be punctuated with moments where the simple, natural, and physical process of your breathing becomes the focus of your attention.
That shock of seeing what others missed became the germ of her remarkable new book, Now You See It, which offers a fresh and reassuring perspective on how to manage anxieties about the bewildering pace of technological change: "Distraction is your friend," she says.
My go to method when I must get something done (especially writing) is to fire up a program called Freedom that my buddy Julien Smith suggested that blocks all Internet traffic for a set amount of time that you decide and can’t change. I’ll set it for 60 minutes, fire up some music and get to work.
I’ve also noticed that I’m much more productive when I’m on my laptop and in a different setting then the desk in my office. Not sure why this is, but it helps. With the nice weather I can work in pretty much any room or location and it helps find my focus.
If you start to lose your focus, get up and find it. Sitting and clicking will never bring it back for you.
Attention seems more like a product, something that marketers purchase from entertainment media. Attention is not ours to spend; it's instead a state of being that makes us sellable.
Aza Raskin, a user-interface designer for the Web browser company Mozilla, has a novel way of meeting such challenges. His workspace consists of three computers: one for his primary work, a second somewhat nearby for email, and a third much farther away for "the fun"—this last one is rigged to get progressively slower and more difficult to use.
Howard Hawks famously said that all a good movie needs is three great scenes and no bad ones. Well, according to James Cutting, a psychologist at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, they also need to conform to a special mathematical formula. In a forthcoming paper, Cutting reveals that most modern Hollywood blockbusters conform to a mathematical model for attention span called the 1/f fluctuation.
One of the guided meditative modes uses Kinect's depth sensor to measure seated players' breathing patterns. The result is displayed onscreen as three undulating bars. As players move their chest, the soothing voice of yoga instructor Elena Brower provides instruction on how to control breathing. It's the first such use of the technology in a Kinect game.
Sharon Bowman, slide creator. How to get - and keep - the brain's attention in any learning environment. For teachers, trainers, instructors, and presenters.
I’ve had an interest in Biofeedback, Mind Machines, and Brainwave Entrainment for many years now. Since my collection of links/bookmarks is starting to grow too large I decided to start putting them in a mindmap. This map is by no means complete, but a very good start for people who are interested in this topic. I’ve personally had a lot of experience with brainwave entrainment software, but am eager to try out some mindmachines in the near future. Please check out what I have so far (I plan to update the map periodically as I find new information).
Meditators say their practice fundamentally changes the way they experience life. MICHAEL BAIME reports on how modern neuroscience is explaining this in biological terms.
Omega has drawn together leaders in mindfulness and education to offer not only practical techniques for teaching mindfulness, but also instruction for cultivating a personal mindfulness practice.
Howard, are you offering this for the consideration of conventional managers as a way of regaining control over a generation of office workers who spend as much as a third or more of their day surfing and slacking on the internet? What is your take on this?
The challenge is to know at any given moment where our attention is most needed. If our cell phone rings while we are talking to a friend, do we pick it up out of habit, or do we take the call because that is where our attention is needed?
Sure, you nourish your body with healthful foods. Now how about addressing the wear and tear multitasking does to your mind? So, my friend and colleague Dr. Daniel J. Siegel and I got together and decided to create what we're calling the Healthy Mind Platter. This platter has seven essential mental activities necessary for optimum mental health in daily life. These seven daily activities make up the full set of 'mental nutrition' that your brain needs to function at it's best. By engaging regularly in each of these servings, you enable your brain to coordinate and balance its activities, which strengthens your brain's internal connections and your connections with other people.
To get content containing either thought or leadership enter:
To get content containing both thought and leadership enter:
To get content containing the expression thought leadership enter:
You can enter several keywords and you can refine them whenever you want. Our suggestion engine uses more signals but entering a few keywords here will rapidly give you great content to curate.
Your new post is loading...
