[kepler-dev] don't read this (your IQ might suffer ;-)

[Bertram Ludaescher]

fyi .. (sorry for the spam, but I couldn't resist... )

>From http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/europe/04/22/text.iq/index.html

E-mails 'hurt IQ more than pot'

Friday, April 22, 2005 Posted: 8:08 AM EDT (1208 GMT)
	
LONDON, England -- Workers distracted by phone calls, e-mails and text
messages suffer a greater loss of IQ than a person smoking marijuana,
a British study shows.

The constant interruptions reduce productivity and leave people
feeling tired and lethargic, according to a survey carried out by TNS
Research and commissioned by Hewlett Packard.

The survey of 1,100 Britons showed:

- Almost two out three people check their electronic messages out of
office hours and when on holiday
- Half of all workers respond to an e-mail within 60 minutes of
receiving one
- One in five will break off from a business or social engagement to
respond to a message.
- Nine out of 10 people thought colleagues who answered messages
during face-to-face meetings were rude, while three out of 10
believed it was not only acceptable, but a sign of diligence and
efficiency.

But the mental impact of trying to balance a steady inflow of messages
with getting on with normal work took its toll, the UK's Press
Association reported.
  In 80 clinical trials, Dr. Glenn Wilson, a psychiatrist at King's
College London University, monitored the IQ of workers throughout the
day.
  He found the IQ of those who tried to juggle messages and work fell by
10 points -- the equivalent to missing a whole night's sleep and more
than double the 4-point fall seen after smoking marijuana.
  "This is a very real and widespread phenomenon," Wilson said. "We have
found that this obsession with looking at messages, if unchecked, will
damage a worker's performance by reducing their mental sharpness.
  "Companies should encourage a more balanced and appropriate way of
working."
Wilson said the IQ drop was even more significant in the men who took
part in the tests.
  "The research suggests that we are in danger of being caught up in a
24-hour 'always on' society," said David Smith of Hewlett Packard.
  "This is more worrying when you consider the potential impairment on
performance and concentration for workers, and the consequent impact
on businesses."