Benedict Carey look at boredom in todays New York Times. Research suggests that falling into a numbed trance allows the brain to recast the outside world in ways that can be productive and creative.
Scientists know plenty about boredom, too, though more as a result of poring through thickets of meaningless data than from studying the mental state itself. Much of the research on the topic has focused on the bad company it tends to keep, from depression and overeating to smoking and drug use. Continue reading
Source: New York Times, August 5, 2008; Benedict Carey
