Stop Paying Attention: Zoning Out Is a Crucial Mental State

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Discover, June 15, 2009

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I am going to do my best to hold your attention until the very last word of this column. Actually, I know it’s futile. Along the way, your mind will wander off, then return, then drift away again. But I can console myself with some recent research on the subject of mind wandering. Mind wandering is not necessarily the sign of a boring column. It’s just one of the things that make us human.

Everybody knows what it is like for our minds to wander, and yet, for a long time psychologists shied away from examining the experience. It seemed too elusive and subjective to study scientifically. Only in the past decade have they even measured just how common mind wandering is. The answer is very.

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Update: Manahatta at the World Science Festival at a New Location Sunday

Posted on by Matt Kristoffersen

As I mentioned earlier, as part of the World Science Festival, I’ll be talking Sunday with Eric Sanderson, an ecologist who has just published the book Mannahatta: A Natural History of New York City, based on his remarkable project to map out the ecosystems of New York on the eve of the arrival of Europeans. We’ll be at the Author’s Corner, which is now in a different location: The Discovery Theater, on the 8th floor of the Kimmel Center at NYU on Washington Square. Here are the details and a map .

Eric and I will speak from 11:00 am to 11:30 and then we’ll both be signing books at noon.

See you there!

Originally published June 12, 2009. Copyright 2009 Carl Zimmer.

Swine Flu Science: First Wiki, Then Publish

Posted on by Matt Kristoffersen

Here’s a vision of how science may work in the future.

Last month I scrambled to write a story about the evolution of swine flu for the New York Times. I talked to some of the top experts on the evolution of viruses who were, at that very moment, analyzing the genetic material in samples of the virus isolated around the world. One scientist, whom I reached at home, said, “Sure, I’ve got a little time. I’m just making some coffee while my computer crunches some swine flu. What’s up?”

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Darwinius: Science, Showbiz, and Conflicts of Interest

Posted on by Matt Kristoffersen

The story of Darwinius masilae continues…

In our previous chapter, we noted that the scientists who described this fossil claimed “no competing interests exist,” ignoring the fact that the fossil was the center of a spectacular media circus that included a heavily financed TV documentary. I contacted Peter Binfield of PLOS One, where the paper was published, and asked for a comment. He said he was contacting the authors and would get back to me.

He has.

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