The Importance of Being... Bored

InnovatIvE DayDrEamIng Neuroscientists have been studying what the brain does when it isn’t doing anything in particular.1 Neuroimaging studies have found that the brain is surprisingly busy. In addition, the body is putting quite a bit of effort into that activity, as measured by a drop in blood flow of just 5–10 percent during periods of “rest.” Functional magnetic resonance imaging suggests that daydreaming is the default mental state of the human mind. Meanwhile, Sandi Mann from the University of Central Lancashire wondered what could possibly be the evolutionary point of boredom. Mann performed a study in which she got participants as bored as possible—having them copy phone numbers from a telephone book for 20 minutes—after which point she asked them to think of as many uses as possible for two paper cups.2 In the next experiment, she had them do something even more boring—simply read the phone book. Yet the participants who read the phone book were much more creative in their answers about those two paper cups. Participants who copied out the phone book came up with ideas such as using the cups as holders or planters. Participants who read the phone book came up with ideas for turning those cups into earrings, musical instruments, and more. In considering this burst of creativity, the belief is that boredom gets you to start daydreaming and allows your mind to wander. It moves you beyond the conscious mind to the subconscious, which is where your imagination is most active. Consequently, “missing out” on boredom could be a major problem from the perspective of inventing creative solutions to important problems. What does this have to do with pervasive computing? Consider the last time you were bored and what you did. Did you pull out your smartphone and check your email? Play a game? Watch a video? Smartphones provide an endless stream of entertainment (as long as your battery is charged). We never have to be bored! And if we never have to be bored, are we losing the potential time to daydream and find creative, imaginative solutions to important problems? This brings me to NPR’s “Bored and Brilliant” series. The series, which walks you through the science behind the importance of being bored, challenges you with different ways of bringing boredom back into your day. See the “NPR: New Tech City’s ‘Bored and Brilliant’ Challenges” sidebar for a description of each day’s challenge.