The Eureka Hunt

This is a summary from an article from the New Yorker.  It was published on July 28th, 2008.

The focus of the article was the research on what is called insight.  Insight is what we call the “AHA moment.”  The point where we figure out a problem and in some cases wonder why it was such an easy answer to the problem.

The authors give many examples of insight and talk about the research by Jung-Beeman who has published articles on this subject.  The thing I found most interesting was the way that insight occurred or in particular, where it occurred. 

In the past, I have found that I make the most mental progress in the shower.  It never made sense to me, but the way that they explained it gives me evidence for my own discovery.  They say that most insight occurs in the morning and when you are relaxed, both were elements of my shower.  The morning is an excellent time for insight to occur because the brain is completely disorganized and just starting to become reconfigured for the day. 

When you first go to sleep, your brain starts to distangle neural connections.  Some say that this helps the brain keep its plasticity or that the brain always works best on the edge of chaos, so it basically shuts itself down every night (usually) and restarts every day.  The authors also said that relaxation was key to the insight and a fresh brain gives a person a good deal of both keys to insight.  So how do you relax, usually in the morning (unless you are rushed), your brain has time to think unconsciously and perhaps lead to an insight.  Insight also occurs when you take a warm shower.  Again, relaxation is key, a warm shower gives a person time to think and the brain can wander perhaps providing insight or an answer to a problem. 

After a long focus, it may be best to just go for a walk, give yourself sometime to think because your brain can give you the answer without you even actively searching for it.

That’s a Space Peanut

Undergraduate Research Scholars Program (URS) Fellows Training started today.  That is a mouthful.  URS is one of the organizations I work for on campus.  I have been in it for the past 3 years and thoroughly enjoy it.  The first two years, I attended URS as a student who learned about research and the entire research process.  These next two years have been focused on passing on that knowledge and I believe it is much more rewarding for the teacher than the student in this situation. 

Our training gets us ready to deal with all the trials and tribulations involved with teaching about 20 Freshman or Sophomores the process of research.  They get a chance to get involved with some research on campus and this can be a disaster, so-so, or awesome.  My research has been so-so but only recently (meaning 3 years later) has finally gotten very interesting.  Last year, our class was great, a very energetic group that really came together in the end.  As for this year, we have yet to find out who will be following us.  Also, we get a co-fellow.  This makes the whole class dynamic much more interesting because you work with this person (usually the opposite gender) every week and almost daily to get the class plans prepared.  Tomorrow I find out who mine is.  I am kind of scared but in the end I am sure it will be a good fit, the directors do a good job of pairing us.  In the end, the 20 fellows all attend this training for the next 4 days and get to know URS more in depth.

On another note:  I will be posting another entry very shortly.  I do not wish to take away from the coolness factor of that entry by explaining how I came to read the article involved with it.  So have fun with that one.