To put it bluntly, research shows that we can’t multitask. We are biologically incapable of processing attention-rich inputs simultaneously. John Medina More Quotes by John Medina More Quotes From John Medina If you wanted to create an education environment that was directly opposed to what the brain was good at doing, you probably would design something like a classroom. If you wanted to create a business environment that was directly opposed to what the brain was good at doing, you probably would design something like a cubicle. And if you wanted to change things, you might have to tear down both and start over. John Medina starting-over design brain You've got seconds to grab your audience's attention and only minutes to keep it. John Medina minutes business attention The brain remembers the emotional component of an experience better than any other aspect. John Medina emotional brain remember Change often involves loss, so change can be a risky experience. John Medina loss What you do and learn in life physically changes what your brain looks like—it literally rewires it. John Medina medina brain looks The more senses recruited at the moment of learning, the more likely you are to recall it later. John Medina recalls senses moments Based on research into the Picture Superiority Effect, when we read text alone, we are likely to remember only 10 percent of the information 3 days later. If that information is presented to us as text combined with a relevant image, we are likely to remember 65 percent of the information 3 days later. John Medina information research remember The brain appears to have been designed to solve problems related to surviving in an outdoor setting, in unstable meteorological conditions, and to do so in near constant motion. John Medina unstable problem brain The brain cannot multitask. Multitasking, when it comes to paying attention, is a myth. The brain naturally focuses on concepts sequentially, one at a time…To put it bluntly, research shows that we can’t multitask. We are biologically incapable of processing information-rich inputs simultaneously…Studies show that a person who is interrupted takes 50 percent longer to accomplish a task. Not only that, he or she makes up to 50 percent more errors. John Medina errors tasks brain The brain processes meaning before detail. Providing the gist, the core concept, first was like giving a thirsty person a tall glass of water. And the brain likes hierarchy. Starting with general concepts naturally leads to explaining information in a hierarchical fashion. You have to do the general idea first. And then you will see that 40 percent improvement in understanding. John Medina fashion glasses ideas Empathy works so well because it does not require a solution. It requires only understanding. John Medina empathy understanding doe Years of research show us that the less control a person feels over an aversive stimuli coming at them, the more likely they are to disengage. Complete loss of control over a sustained period of time can actually lead to depression. It then follows that giving the person a level of control over the situation reduce the stress - and perhaps restore the disengagement. John Medina stress loss years Whether at work, home or school, everybody carries their brain around them, and if the organ suffers from a disorder, we carry the disorder around with us too. John Medina brain home school One of the greatest predictors of academic success that exist is the emotional stability of the home. So if parents are interested in education reform, they should also be interested in how they conduct themselves in front of their children. If they are homeschooling their kids, they are even more exposed, so the idea is even more important. John Medina home kids children Don't start with the details. Start with the key ideas, and in a hierarchical fashion, form the details around these larger notions. John Medina fashion keys ideas Every brain is wired differently from every other brain, and learns in ways unique to that wiring. John Medina unique brain way Having a first child is like swallowing an intoxicating drink made of equal parts joy and terror, chased with a bucketful of transitions nobody ever tells you about. John Medina transition joy children To improve short-term memory significantly, reduce the stress in your life. And choose your parents wisely. John Medina stress parent memories We are human because we can fantasize. John Medina humans There are nature and nurture components to virtually every behavior a human experiences. The research effort lies only in finding the relevant percentages, not on some absolute value. That's one of the reasons behavioral scientists have to be really good statisticians. John Medina effort research lying