WASHINGTON -- If you’ve ever hit a road block and can’t solve a problem – you MAY want to try stepping away and doing a simple task for a while.
Fans of the Big Bang Theory learned this in Season 3, Episode 14. Sheldon is sleep-deprived trying to solve a a theoretical equation. He hits a road block... and is unable to come to the solution, until he thinks back to Albert Einstein.
Sheldon’s new method for coming to his solution is called Prefrontal Cortex Basal Ganglia Working Memory Algorithm.
There’s a part of your brain called the basal ganglia that is responsible for facilitating movements by limiting other movements – like making you move your hands to wash dishes and not allowing you to do jumping jacks at the same time.
When your basal ganglia is in USE – it opens up another part of your brain – called the frontal cortex – to perform deeper thoughts.
So if you’re stuck on a math problem you MAY try folding clothes or washing the dishes. It could help that light bulb go off in your head!
