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Re: [Phys-L] multitasking



One big difference with talking on a radio in an airplane and talking on a phone in a car is that the use of the radio in a plane is a necessary part of flying right from the very beginning. After a while, the radio becomes just another part of controlling an aircraft. It's very similar to first learning to drive on a standard shift car. You become unconscious of the shifting and your main focus is on the driving itself. Driving is the primary task - shifting is an almost unconscious secondary task.

A big problem with using a phone in a car is that it is obvious that, for many people, talking on the phone is the primary task and driving becomes relegated to a secondary supporting role - something you physically do so you can sustain the conversation without having to pull of to the side of the road.

Bob at PC

________________________________________
From: phys-l-bounces@mail.phys-l.org [phys-l-bounces@mail.phys-l.org] on behalf of John Denker [jsd@av8n.com]
Sent: Wednesday, June 06, 2012 5:37 PM
To: Phys-L@Phys-L.org
Subject: [Phys-L] multitasking

I wrote:

I reckon that 10% of the population is born with the
multitasking skill, and another 80% can learn it, and the
remaining 10% will never learn it, which is OK.

On 06/06/2012 01:20 PM, Bernard Cleyet wrote:

Most of the evidence I've read (and please don't ask for a reference)
is multitasking is N.D.G. To what I think JD et alii are referring
is serial tasking.

bc a serial tasker.

I stand by what I wrote. Multitasking simply means waiting for
one task to complete before beginning some other task(s).

Also it has been known since at least 1962 that sufficiently
rapid context switching is indistinguishable from simultaneity.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_George_Kemeny

For that matter, it is known that outright simultaneity is the
rule, not the exception, for human thought. In the human brain
there are on the order of 10^11 neurons and 10^15 synapses, all
operating in parallel.

Some of us humans can walk and juggle and talk at the same time.

p.s. don't text and drive.

Note the following contrast:
-- In many jurisdictions, drivers are _forbidden_ to talk
on the phone while driving.
-- Meanwhile, pilots are _required_ to talk on the radio
while flying the airplane. It's a requirement for getting
a pilot certificate, at any level from private pilot on
up; see e.g.
www.faa.gov/training_testing/testing/airmen/test_standards/pilot/media/FAA-S-8081-14B.pdf
where it mentions "transmits".

More generally, consider the part where the Practical Test
Standard talks about division of attention:

the examiner shall cause realistic distractions during the flight portion of
the practical test to evaluate the applicant’s ability to divide attention
while maintaining safe flight.

I find it ironic that an activity that is forbidden in the
car is required in the airplane.
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