Why can you sit 2 hours trying to solve a programming/math problem, give up, go to bed & then when you wake up, solve the problem in 10 minutes?
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Isn’t it interesting how this phenomenon applies to so many other things?
Not sure if it was already said and I have nothing really to back this up. I have heard that your brain creates synapse paths when you are thinking or solving a problem. When you take a break, those paths fade. Trying the task again later will cause new synapse paths to form which can lead you to different conclusions. Along those same lines, the fluid in your brain moves around. So when you lay down some paths are broken since the fluid facilitates the electric currents. A similar affect can be achieved by shaking your head back and forth rapidly.
If anyone can debunk or confirm this, please do so.
Learning happens by brain cells making new connections. Much of this happens during sleep/rest.
Why don’t you just read the syntax error? Or is it that you can’t figure out what to write to make the program, not a missing digit?
Think about it as trying to turn on a lightbult with a lightswitch. There are two switches, one is in the correct spot on the wall and clearly should turn on the light. You turn it on and off on and off and nothing. You scratch your head because it should turn it on. The thing is the real lightswitch is hidden at foot level behind a furniture. You are not even thinking of this, just so focuses on turning on and off the one on the wall. If you give up, go to bed and come back maybe you think about checking for another light switch and voila!
I have a theory, as i am in school doing code right now.
I think that when you walk away and come back later, all options start again on an equal scale vs when you’re stuck, you tend to focus on the one or two methods you initially thought of.
So, when you come back, its easier to cast those aside and try something unrelated, or maybe the thing that was your third choice in the beginning. We tend to latch on the first few ideas, thinking “well this is the solution, i just need to tweak it”.
There’s also the fact that other thoughts can come in and mutate your perception of the problem while you’re away. House MD showed this kind of thing quite often.
Not sure if this makes sense to anyone else. But its what seems to be happening when it happens to me.
Wish I knew.
I’ve been banging my head on a problem all week long, really stretching back into January honestly, on a system I’m not very familiar with, written in a language that I am not fluent in. Yesterday, I was done, at my end. Going to call up the boss and tell him “Sorry, I can’t do this” and then, what, quit?
Decided to sleep on it.
Woke up this morning with the solution in my head, ready to go. Had it implemented in 90 minutes. Spent the day testing it between meetings. It’s working.
I can only say, Hallelujah!
Because change focus. When you are focused on how it is defeating you, it is hard to focus on the solution.
“Fresh set of eyes”. You’re removing frustration and circular thought/reasoning and coming in where you left off more focused and relaxed.
It happens to me all the time. One time almost 6 years ago, my wife was 7 months pregnant, and it was August (so ridiculously hot outside). We had just moved into our house and the AC was blowing lukewarm air. The condenser outside was not turning on. Got that fixed pretty quickly (blown capacitor). Now to figure out why the AC isn’t cold. I took pictures of the wiring down on the actual HVAC unit. I took pictures of the wiring of the thermostat. No matter what I was doing, it wasn’t working. I was feeling the pressure because my wife was extremely pregnant and uncomfortable. I was so frustrated I couldn’t figure it out. So I walked away for a few minutes to relax so I could think clearly.
Once I was able to calm myself down, I had an “AH HA!” moment. I pulled up my phone and looked at the wiring to the thermostat. All wiring was correct, just there was only a wire going to R (constant), and no jumper from R to Rc (Constant Cool). MY house was built in 1890, so there was plenty of wiring around the house from old unused yesteryear technology. I clipped a section of unused wire, stripped the ends and made a jumper. Plugged it in and turned the AC on. Arctic blast of cold air coming through the vents!
You know how on your computer a programme fails to respond and the cursor just spins? Then suddenly it comes back and acts normally? Yeah that. Some processes just run longer. And just because you stop actively working your problem, doesn’t mean your monkey brain has given up.
One time my wife said to me why is the collar red on your white shirt. Fuck knows I said. At 3am that morning I sat up in bed and said to her, it was raining when I wore my red wedding tie. From a dead sleep, my brain was working through the memories instead of having me run from bad guys in some stupid vivid dream.
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