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The science of having ideas in the shower

nationalgeographic.co.uk

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Re: The science of having ideas in the shower

#91

Post by gazby »

corobo wrote: post #89
gazby wrote: post #59

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My understanding was that both heat and steam are bad for waterproof electronics, just be careful mate Edit: Aww HN strips emoji, should have seen that coming lol

I was warned of this one (like the parent comment I use my phone in the shower for notes). Not had a problem in 2 years* of daily showers. I realise I'm taking a bit of a risk but nothing bad has happened so far. Could always just be luck of course. iPhone 11 for reference. * Almost exactly, ha. 24mo contract expired last week. Sod's Law says my next shower will destroy the phone having written this down.

Sending good juju your way mate!

Re: The science of having ideas in the shower

#92

Post by corobo »

ford wrote: post #6

Is there more research on how boredom relates to creativity in general? I've been wondering recently about how my default in most cases is to look at my phone (reddit, social media, texting). That must detract from my net new ideas. I know many a child driven to weird ideas, fun games, and general creativity from lack of anything else to do. It's probably a spectrum (reading reddit/HN/etc. is likely to introduce new…

Anecdotally it absolutely seems to go hand in hand for me. To the point where I've started considering social networks, booze, THC, etc as dopamine sugar.

I'm allowed them now and then as a treat for hitting a goal* or something but not constantly, and definitely no cake for breakfast.

* for instance I'm enjoying a nice HN binge right now as I've already covered my rent this month with freelance work :)

While I've not had any direct results of any ideas yet I have filled 8 pages of my scratch diary with ideas and notes on my main side project since I've started reintroducing boredom into my life. Previously it was bad enough that I'd forget the diary existed for days and sometimes weeks at a time.

Rather than go insane if the boredom doesn't turn into creativity I'm allowed to read a book at any time rather than slip back to the sugary dopamine sources.

Could just be honeymoon period, I'm only a week or so into it, I might get bored of being bored soon.

Re: The science of having ideas in the shower

#93

Post by woodruffw »

boredemployee wrote: post #69
diemes1 wrote: post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Never seen John Carmack described as an artist before

could writing code be considered as an art? genuinely asking

Whenever I hear someone describe programming as art, I think of this essay[1].

That isn't to say it can't be art. Only that those with an interest in calling it art usually aren't the appropriate authorities.

[1]: https://idlewords.com/2005/04/dabblers_and_blowhards.htm

Re: The science of having ideas in the shower

#94

Post by lofaszvanitt »

Ehh, I have the eureka moments in the bed and ideas during walking/listening to something or reading something offtopic. After all memory retrieval is avalanche based.

I turn off the PC, get in the bed, 5 minutes later I have the answer for that hard problem. I have noticed that sitting before the monitor sucks your brain down and hard problem solving or planning need some horizontal positioning, without any electronic device.

Re: The science of having ideas in the shower

#95

Post by andix »

I think that’s why it’s sometimes important to just leave from work, if you’re doing something hard and get stuck. If you keep working hard, you may not find any solution. It happened really often to me, that on the next day the solution for the problem was „just there“.

It just doesn’t fit our working culture, if our leave two hours early and if the boss asks you say: „I have to do a lot of complicated work, that’s why I’m leaving early“.

Re: The science of having ideas in the shower

#97

Post by turtleyacht »

boredemployee wrote: post #69
diemes1 wrote: post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Never seen John Carmack described as an artist before

could writing code be considered as an art? genuinely asking

It's a good day to reflect on code recently pushed, or a PR submitted, to retrace the lines and marvel at it (in one's head, on the commute home, or underneath a watery drone).

If programming itself isn't art, the cognition of its product surely is. Art in a gallery asks to be observed again, studied again, brought to the context of each discovered age, again.

Re: The science of having ideas in the shower

#98

Post by QuantumGood »

Left/right brain isn't an accurate summary of the brain, but a useful distinction:

• Left brain is thoughts, analysis, pattern following, etc.

• Right brain is awareness without analysis, flow state, performance awareness

To "listen" to your right brain awareness, you need to shut down the left brain at least a little bit. You need at least a little bit of space (or flow state) to hear the right brain. The left brain pushes itself on you. The right brain needs to be listened to be heard.

Re: The science of having ideas in the shower

#99

Post by e40 »

Waterluvian wrote: post #75

Maybe I’m discovering the obvious, but I began using THC for sleep in my 30s and as a side effect, I kinda get a little bit high for about 20 mins before bed. I’ll be having a shower that usually turns into a bath for safety and I just close my eyes and think. And it’s truly miraculous… My brain just wanders so freely among the ideas of the day. But what interests me most are these “eureka!” moments. They’re so fast…

Be careful, THC messes with your REM sleep.

Re: The science of having ideas in the shower

#100

Post by asdff »

It makes sense why people get all their ideas in the shower. That's about the only time the modern human has where you aren't distracting yourself with some other external stimuli. I've even seen people use a public urinal with a phone in one hand.
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