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With life getting more demanding and hectic all the time

it seems there's only one way to cope - multitasking!

it seems there's only one way to cope multitasking

Gurus and life hackers make a living telling us how to get better at it.

Gurus and life hackers make a living telling us how to get better at it

But can we actually multitask?

But can we actually multitask

The term was first used in the '60s, to describe computer performance.

The term was first used in the '60s to describe computer performance

The human brain, though, is not a computer

The human brain though is not a computer

and human attention is a very limited resource.

and human attention is a very limited resource

Some psychologists model visual attention as being like a spotlight.

Some psychologists model visual attention as being like a spotlight

It can only be shone in one direction at any one time.

It can only be shone in one direction at any one time

Our primary focus - what we're paying most attention to -

Our primary focus what we're paying most attention to

is like the brightly lit area in the centre of the beam.

is like the brightly lit area in the centre of the beam

It can also be understood as being like a zoom lens -

It can also be understood as being like a zoom lens

we can choose to narrow our focus to concentrate in detail,

we can choose to narrow our focus to concentrate in detail

or widen it, to be aware of more things simultaneously.

or widen it to be aware of more things simultaneously

But we can't be zoomed in and out at the same time.

But we can't be zoomed in and out at the same time

Even though we're constantly receiving a huge amount

of information from our senses, it's only possible for a small amount

of information from our senses it's only possible for a small amount

to make it through to conscious awareness.

to make it through to conscious awareness

Watch the next section very carefully,

Watch the next section very carefully

and pay particular attention to how many balls bounce in the circle.

and pay particular attention to how many balls bounce in the circle

How many can you count? Seven, right?

How many can you count Seven right

But did you also notice that little dinosaur?

But did you also notice that little dinosaur

What about the changing shape of the circle?

What about the changing shape of the circle

Or the smiley face on one of the balls?

Or the smiley face on one of the balls

This shows just how powerful focused attention is.

This shows just how powerful focused attention is

Being able to filter out irrelevant detail is an amazingly useful tool,

Being able to filter out irrelevant detail is an amazingly useful tool

but it means we can miss things that are right under our noses -

but it means we can miss things that are right under our noses

an effect known as inattention blindness.

an effect known as inattention blindness

You can see this very clearly in the famous Invisible Gorilla experiment.

You can see this very clearly in the famous Invisible Gorilla experiment

When asked to concentrate exclusively

on how often basketball players in white pass the ball,

on how often basketball players in white pass the ball

most people completely miss the gorilla

walking across the screen and beating his chest.

walking across the screen and beating his chest

We just don't have the capacity to process everything at once.

We just don't have the capacity to process everything at once

This is a particular problem when we try to multitask.

This is a particular problem when we try to multitask

We can switch attention from one task to another and back again.

We can switch attention from one task to another and back again

But when attention is overloaded, we miss things,

But when attention is overloaded we miss things

and the result is nearly always that we perform tasks less well

than we would doing them one at a time.

than we would doing them one at a time

It's only truly possible to do two things at once if they require

different sets of cognitive resources.

different sets of cognitive resources

For example, it's totally possible to read a book and listen to music

For example it's totally possible to read a book and listen to music

at the same time.

at the same time

Which would suggest that driving while talking on the phone

is not a problem, as long as it's a hands-free phone.

is not a problem as long as it's a hands-free phone

It's not that simple though -

It's not that simple though

research has shown that while talking on the phone

we have a tendency to create mental images,

we have a tendency to create mental images

and this uses the same visual resources needed for driving.

and this uses the same visual resources needed for driving

And if visual resources become too stretched,

And if visual resources become too stretched

it's perfectly possible for a driver to look directly at a hazard

but, just like with that little dinosaur, fail to see it.

but just like with that little dinosaur fail to see it

Not everything will make it through to conscious awareness.

Not everything will make it through to conscious awareness

So multitasking makes us at best, inefficient,

So multitasking makes us at best inefficient

and at worst, downright dangerous.

and at worst downright dangerous

If you're feeling like you should be doing 17 things at once, remember,

If you're feeling like you should be doing 17 things at once remember

that's just not the way your brain is wired.

that's just not the way your brain is wired

Thanks for watching.

Thanks for watching

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