Wandering Mind

Zoning out aids learning hidden patterns in tasks

- Nora Bradford

While you do the dishes or drive to work, your mind is likely not on the task at hand; perhaps you're composing a grocery list or daydreaming about retiring in Italy.

But research published in the Journal of Neuroscience suggests you might be taking in more than you think.

During a simple task that requires minimal attention, mind wandering may actually help people learn probabilistic patterns that let them perform the task better.