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The Organized Mind: Thinking Straight in an Age of Information Overload

With Author Dr. Daniel Levitin

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5 Times More Information Absorbed Than 1986

A talk given to Google employees about how to reduce information overload!

Here Dr. Daniel Levitin gives us some insights from the world of neuroscience as to how to deal with the fact that we are deluged with information to a painful degree.

He says we have 5x more information coming at us than in 1986. That's the equivalent of 174 newspapers PER DAY.

From http://www.straight.com/life/746191/daniel-j-levitin-reveals-science-behind-information-overload-organized-mind on Dr. Levitin's new book "Thinking straight in the age of Information Overload"

"Our brain alternates between a focused state and a fluid, daydreaming mode. The focus helps us get work done; the mind wandering offers rest and creativity. But the barrage of digital data means we’re always interrupting these states, switching back and forth at breakneck speed. And since the switch comes at a high metabolic cost, we’re constantly fatigued. Add to that: we keep finding new ways to tax our already overstimulated systems. Because we’re wired for novelty, we seek out more and more: online lists, YouTube videos, Instagram photos."

He speaks here about the myth of multitasking, tips to remain focused - and isn't it nice to know a 10 minute nap can be the equivalent of 1.5 hours of sleep missed the night before, and can ever raise your effective IQ by 10 points?


--Bibi Farber

For more info see Dr. Daniel Levitin's book: "The Organized Mind: Thinking Straight in the Age of Information Overload"