Hands-free is not a very great improvement anyway, as the lack of attention on the road is the big problem, not having one hand occupied with the phone.
<!--quoteo(post=1720354:date=Aug 2 2009, 10:55 AM:name=BadMouth)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (BadMouth @ Aug 2 2009, 10:55 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1720354"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->she unplugs the earpiece from the phone everytime she ends a call, whenever a new calls comes in, she would have to untangle all the wires and replug it in<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
That's why you're supposed to have a loudspeaker one which you just press the button to answer and then talk at conversational volume. No different from pressing "skip track" on your CD player or adjusting the air conditioning. (and the talking like you'd do if someone else was in the car) It's safer because you're always going to have your eyes on the road and will hopefully focus on that more than the conversation. Of course, given the choice, you should always put the conversation off until you're done driving, but if someone needs to call you to hand you a little piece of info it's beneficial.
Yes to: "could you pick up our son before you get home?" Okay, done, change route but barely distracted. No to: "hey can we talk about deep emotions for half an hour." Oh no you were distracted and have killed a child.
Turns out science has proven your brain is incapable of "multi-tasking". It just does each thread so quickly and in small chunks that people fool themselves into thinking they're multi-tasking.
Personally, I'd say it (texting while driving) needs to go.
What about stuff like walking? If I think and walk, do I do each alternatingly? I mean, this kinda conflicts with the way I've had the human brain described to me, namely that the closest analogue to a computer would be one with a low clock speed (only about a hundred hertz or so) but a massive amount of processors. And multicore computers ARE capable of doing several things independently.
<!--quoteo(post=1720483:date=Aug 3 2009, 11:21 AM:name=Align)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Align @ Aug 3 2009, 11:21 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1720483"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->What about multicores?<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
One thought per core. :)
I believe we're talking about higher level brain functions, here. Walking can be put into automatic mode by sacrificing precision. Say you're trying to walk across a small beam that's bridging a Indiana Jones style bottomless pit. Now, you will be thinking more actively about your walking, and I venture a guess that thinking about other things or talking a cell phone at such a time would be bad for you.
KassingerShades of greyJoin Date: 2002-02-20Member: 229Members, Constellation
When something is well practiced, you don't have to actively focus on it to do it, and you can multitask. Atul Gawande describes this as the main difference between an expert surgeon and a resident. The surgeon goes on auto-pilot until something unexpected happens, then being able to use all their attention on solving the problem, while an untrained person will lose control because [s]he has to focus on everything all the time.
I notice this when driving hours for a stretch, sometimes suddenly realizing that I've been driving for a long time without actively thinking. But in a bad way, as in focusing so little that your reaction time is way off, which is scary.
<!--quoteo(post=1720483:date=Aug 3 2009, 09:21 AM:name=Align)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Align @ Aug 3 2009, 09:21 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1720483"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->What about multicores?<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Each core can work independently, but typically you need architecture overhead that manages each thread, accesses memory for each one, etc. As we get more and more cores, that overhead is gonna really start to cost us.
And yes, I should have mentioned this is typically for conscious actions. You don't need to multitask subconscious actions like breathing or heart rate unless you consciously start to control your breath while typing.
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That's why you're supposed to have a loudspeaker one which you just press the button to answer and then talk at conversational volume. No different from pressing "skip track" on your CD player or adjusting the air conditioning. (and the talking like you'd do if someone else was in the car) It's safer because you're always going to have your eyes on the road and will hopefully focus on that more than the conversation. Of course, given the choice, you should always put the conversation off until you're done driving, but if someone needs to call you to hand you a little piece of info it's beneficial.
Yes to: "could you pick up our son before you get home?" Okay, done, change route but barely distracted.
No to: "hey can we talk about deep emotions for half an hour." Oh no you were distracted and have killed a child.
Personally, I'd say it (texting while driving) needs to go.
One thought per core. :)
I believe we're talking about higher level brain functions, here. Walking can be put into automatic mode by sacrificing precision. Say you're trying to walk across a small beam that's bridging a Indiana Jones style bottomless pit. Now, you will be thinking more actively about your walking, and I venture a guess that thinking about other things or talking a cell phone at such a time would be bad for you.
I notice this when driving hours for a stretch, sometimes suddenly realizing that I've been driving for a long time without actively thinking. But in a bad way, as in focusing so little that your reaction time is way off, which is scary.
Each core can work independently, but typically you need architecture overhead that manages each thread, accesses memory for each one, etc. As we get more and more cores, that overhead is gonna really start to cost us.
And yes, I should have mentioned this is typically for conscious actions. You don't need to multitask subconscious actions like breathing or heart rate unless you consciously start to control your breath while typing.