Restore your brain with nature | David Strayer | TEDxManhattanBeach

Summary

The video script narrates the disconnection between humans and nature due to technology, despite the availability of outdoor recreation. It highlights the negative impacts of multitasking and excessive screen time on cognitive function and mental health. The speaker's research shows that spending time in nature without technology can restore cognitive abilities, reduce stress, and improve well-being, emphasizing the need to balance digital life with natural experiences.

Takeaways

• 🏞️ Utah offers abundant opportunities for outdoor recreation, including national parks, mountains, deserts, and rivers.
• 📱 The speaker recounts an anecdote of a woman disconnected from nature while physically in Arches National Park, highlighting the divide between technology and the natural world.
• 📚 Historically, nature writers have warned about the tension between urban technology and the natural world.
• 🔥 Technology has always been a part of human evolution, from fire to the internet and smartphones, fundamentally changing who we are.
• 🕒 The average American spends over 10 hours a day on digital devices, significantly more than the time spent outside, which is less than 30 minutes.
• 🤹‍♂️ Multitasking, facilitated by technology, is largely a myth as only about 2% of people are good at it, with the rest of us not very efficient.
• 🧠 Multitasking can lead to wasted work time, increased stress, and errors due to its demands on the prefrontal cortex, which is crucial for higher cognitive functions.
• 🧘‍♀️ The speaker's research focuses on the cognitive restoration benefits of nature, particularly how it can serve as a restorative tool for the brain.
• 🚶‍♂️ Short-term studies show that walking in nature without technology can lead to lower theta brain activity, indicating rest and reduced multitasking stress.
• 📉 Technology use during outdoor activities can cause 'inattentional blindness,' where people fail to notice their surroundings due to distraction.
• 🌳 Long-term exposure to nature, without technology, has been associated with cognitive restoration, improved memory, problem-solving, creativity, and overall well-being.
• 🛶 The speaker's personal experience of rafting suggests a transformative effect on perception and cognition, with a deeper connection to nature over time.

Q & A

What is one of the benefits of living in Utah mentioned in the script?

Easy access to outdoor recreation, including national parks, mountains, deserts, and rivers for activities like skiing, hiking, and rafting.

What did the speaker observe a woman doing in Arches National Park that was disruptive to the natural experience?

The woman was holding a cell phone and talking loudly on the phone, trading stocks, which disconnected her from the natural world despite being physically present.

What historical figures are mentioned as advocates for spending more time in nature?

Thoreau, Muir, Abby, and Williams are mentioned as nature writers who have advised spending more time in nature.

How has technology changed our daily habits in terms of screen time and outdoor time?

The average American now spends more than 10 hours a day in front of a digital screen and less than 30 minutes outside.

What percentage of people are actually good at multitasking according to the speaker's research?

Only about 2% of the population are really good at multitasking, while the rest of us are not very efficient at it.

What are some negative effects of multitasking mentioned in the script?

Multitasking can waste about 25% of the workday, increase stress levels, cause human error, and lead to issues like incorrect drug delivery in operating rooms and pilot errors.

What brain-based measures does the speaker's research focus on identifying?

The research focuses on identifying measures of cognitive restoration, particularly nature's ability to be a restorative tool, through both long-term and short-term exposure to the natural world.

What did the EEG studies reveal about the brain activity of people who used technology during a walk in nature?

The EEG studies showed that those who used technology, such as a cellphone, had higher levels of theta activity, indicating that their brains were still active and not rested from multitasking.

What term is used to describe the phenomenon where multitasking leads to not noticing things in plain sight?

The term used is 'inattentional blindness'.

How does the speaker describe the cognitive changes experienced during a multi-day river rafting trip?

The speaker describes a gradual recalibration of senses, an increased awareness of previously overlooked details, and a feeling of becoming part of the natural world rather than separate from it.

What benefits are associated with spending more time in nature according to the research mentioned in the script?

The benefits include improved short-term memory, enhanced working memory, better problem-solving, greater creativity, lower stress levels, and higher feelings of positive well-being.