On 28 September 2008 Mike Palij wrote:
>An article in today's Sunday NY Times focuses on the role
>of sleep in performance and creativity (even a "Ph.D. in
>expeirmental psychology" is quoted.  The story is available
>at:  http://tinyurl.com/4u9zln 

>From the New York Times article:
"Some sort of incubation period, in which a person leaves an idea for a
while, is crucial to creativity. During the incubation period, sleep may
help the brain process a problem."

I wonder if the sleep per se is so important, other than as providing a
situation "in which a person leaves an idea for a while".

I have frequently found that ideas on some topic I'm writing about suddenly
pop into my mind while I'm out walking on the Thames towpath. Is this
essentially different from ideas coming up after sleep? Is there some kind
of *particular* "processing" occurring during sleep, or is it merely the
result of the "leaving the idea for a while" that necessarily occurs during
the sleeping period?

Allen Esterson
Former lecturer, Science Department
Southwark College, London
http://www.esterson.org

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Mike Palij
Sun, 28 Sep 2008 04:32:20 -0700

An article in today's Sunday NY Times focuses on the role
of sleep in performance and creativity (even a "Ph.D. in
expeirmental psychology" is quoted.  The story is available
at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/28/technology/28proto.html?th=&adxnnl=1&emc=
th&adxnnlx=1222599633-uwfm8yG5fZ7FZ8yw+gOZJA
or
http://tinyurl.com/4u9zln 

Although Google has "EnergyPods" (special recliners for
napping) one wonders if it will ever catch-on on college
campuses?  Or will student just continue to sleep at their
desks?

-Mike Palij
New York University

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