How Many Things Can You Do At Once?

Keep in touch, won't you?
Snapchat: nessyhill

Camera: Jake Roper
Written by Rachelle Oldmixon and Vanessa Hill
Produced and edited by Vanessa Hill

REFERENCES:

[HanutejSahu]

A college student can have mental breakdown and write a 10-page paper simultaneously.

[Ifakojesfd]

I once burped, coughed, sneezed, hiccuped and farted at the same time. I must be a super tasker.

[jommydavi]

I can blink, breathe, talk, move my feet, move my hands and turn my head at the same time, i am amazing

[whatthefunction]

The goal of attention disqualifies dividing it.

[Rabbitthat]

Rubex cube, running, knitting, balancing, these are all automatic processes. No one is saying you can't multitask doing automatic processes! Could these "supertaskers" listen to two stories, one in each ear, and remember both perfectly? That would be true multitasking.

[farouq]

I think that many things depend on the specific taks, that is being done. Like doing something that requires muscle memory, while doing something else. This can be called multitask. Also, it depends on what part of the brain is being used. Writing an email, while talking is pretty hard, as you use the same parts of your brain twice. While talking and walking is easy, because you are using different parts of your brain.

[cognito]

I can't even listen to music while doing something else without being distracted which is why I hardly ever make videos... I have to do every thing separately.

[qwertz]

Dual 2 back was quite easy. Havent tried more though. Seems more like a Memory test to me though than a multitask test. All you have to do is remember the last n tupels of (position, letter) which has no multitasking involved(still hard to do anyway)

[photon_shines]

If tasks do not require the same brain functions, I can do them at the same time. I frequently listen to podcasts while making crafts, cooking or tidying up. When I'm swimming I like to think of music in similar tempos and "play" it in my head. I've danced long enough to be able to dance wile holding a conversation. There's no way I can listen to a podcast and read/write anything simultaneously though, because they all involve language processing.

[angrynoodletwentyfive]

I can multitask pretty well. Like taking part in three conversations at once, Finishing an Essay while conversing a different book in English class, the like. Not sewing while running tho.

[UrbanPanic]

Another aspect to multitasking may be which areas of the brain are used... it would make sense that someone could carry on a conversation while hiking through the woods but wouldn't be able to successfully talk on the phone and compose an email at the same time. And there are certain tasks that are amenable to multitasking: running and knitting are both repetitive tasks that rely on muscle memory and unconscious behavior enough that one could quite easily switch conscious focus between the two and maintain competency. Especially if the knitting is something long and straight like a scarf. I'd even wager that using a decent pedometer, one could detect pattern variations within the runner's pace and determine how many stitches wide the scarf is.

[Naiadryade]

Doing certain busywork tasks with my hands that I have very well in my muscle memory, so don't need to focus on, actually *help* me focus on listening to something or having a conversation. Like I often knit during long meetings, and find that if I *don't* knit, my mind tends to wander away from what is being said *way* more often. However, this is the only type of "multitasking" that I am even remotely capable of.

[owgirl]

I wonder if any multitasking studies have been done on Musical Theatre students/performers, triple threats have to be entertainments most skilled supertaskers.

[TheSwamper]

I wish they had referenced drummers. It's not uncommon to be playing 4 different-length notes with 4 different limbs, or even playing one time signature with one hand while a different one with the other. It's kinda the same task, but also kind of not.

[KapricornAlex]

Awesome video! Thank you so much for the lesson on multitasking! Well... Not really multitasking, since I'm afraid I'm one of those people who can only do one thing at a time... But it's nice to know I'm not alone ^^

[Kaneanite]

I am definitely not a supertasker, heck I can't even read an email and watch a video at the same time and then remember what the email was about.

[koukleum]

Was brushing my teeth and watching this video at the same time. I now have a strange sense of accomplishment.

[DeSpaceFairy]

I can breathe and write this comment in the same time

[RoscoeKane]

The best example is doing household chores while listening to an adiobook. One uses motor control and the other language processing, almost no overlap in demands on my brain.

[CarBENbased]

That's interesting about the 2-3 sets of matching numbers. I've often wondered why it seems I can only follow 2 parts of a complex harmony when listening to a song if I want to follow their progression.