You Really Can't Multitask

[KB3LAZ]

I think it's only multitasking if the task requires serious thought and attention. Most folks can walk and chew gum, wash dishes and listen to the radio, sing in the shower, etc.

Where trouble comes in is when people try to do multiple things which require real thought and attention to the task. Like driving and talking on the phone - each requires a certain level of brainpower.

73 de Jim, N2EY

It was being sarcastic. =p Since we are on that track. This is the zed we are talking about. This means that serious thought must go into the task of posting, no?

Since we are actually going to talk about things that require thought and attention. A road romp would be multitasking or at least dual tasking. =P Well, at the very least, a danger.

[K8MHZ]

It was being sarcastic. =p Since we are on that track. This is the zed we are talking about. This means that serious thought must go into the task of posting, no?

Since we are actually going to talk about things that require thought and attention. A road romp would be multitasking or at least dual tasking. =P Well, at the very least, a danger.

I forgot to ask you if the rain really does fall mainly in the plain or if it was a myth.

What were we talking about?

Hold on a minute, I have to answer another post.

(click)

OK, I'm back. What were we talking about?

[KB3LAZ]

I forgot to ask you if the rain really does fall mainly in the plain or if it was a myth.

What were we talking about?

Hold on a minute, I have to answer another post.

(click)

OK, I'm back. What were we talking about?

I dont know but what I can tell you is that the rain in Spain does not fall in Alicante.

[KG6MZS]

Also interesting to note that the brain can only work in a linear, one-thing-at-a time, verbal mode; or a holistic, all-at-once, visual mode. Creativity is a rapid-fire dialectic synthesis of both.

[K0RGR]

Is arguing with yourself multitasking?

No, I think the research is flawed. I believe women can multitask, and men aren't built for it. It's a result of our brain structure. Men's brains are built to concentrate on one thing at a time, while women can juggle many. We may both be doing time multiplexing, but in the case of the female brain, the work is shunted into another processor and work continues on the problem when it's not in the forefront of her consciousness. Men do this to a much lesser extent.

Of course, the first time we got a female manager, one of her key goals was for everyone to learn to multitask. I yelled 'sex discrimination' but to no avail.

[WF7A]

So we're talking serial vs. parallel processors, eh?

[KB3LAZ]

So we're talking serial vs. parallel processors, eh?

Nope, we are talking rain in Spain.

[G0GQK]

I can do half a dozen things at a time, I always could, its the way I was trained

[N2EY]

I can do half a dozen things at a time, I always could, its the way I was trained

But are they simple tasks or complex ones requiring attention?

73 de Jim, N2EY

[N2EY]

Is arguing with yourself multitasking?

Yes it is!

No it isn't!

No, I think the research is flawed. I believe women can multitask, and men aren't built for it. It's a result of our brain structure. Men's brains are built to concentrate on one thing at a time, while women can juggle many. We may both be doing time multiplexing, but in the case of the female brain, the work is shunted into another processor and work continues on the problem when it's not in the forefront of her consciousness. Men do this to a much lesser extent.

I don't think it's a gender thing as much as a culture thing. What one is exposed to and expected to do. Plus the specific skill set of the individual.

More important is the nature of the tasks involved. For example, during a contest I can do multiple tasks (send, receive, keep log and dupe, adjust rig, decide whether a station is worth the time to work, eat, drink, etc.) But that's because each task is pretty simple - for me. For somebody else, just copying the rare one down in the mud would take all their concentration.

Of course, the first time we got a female manager, one of her key goals was for everyone to learn to multitask. I yelled 'sex discrimination' but to no avail.

Again, all depends on the tasks and the individual. Expecting someone to have a conversation on the phone while typing something completely unrelated is unrealistic.

Most of all, there's the illusion of multitask efficiency. It may seem impressive when a person appears to be doing four things at once, but if they do those four things terribly, it's not so impressive. Or if they do the four things OK, but it takes more time than it would to do them separately, where's the efficiency?

73 de Jim, N2EY