Digital Devices Deprive Brain of Needed Downtime

Digital devices deprive brain of needed downtime

The New York Times reports that at the University of California, San Francisco, scientists have found that when rats have a new experience, like exploring an unfamiliar area, their brains show new patterns of activity. But only when the rats take a break from their exploration do they process those patterns in a way that seems to create a persistent memory of the experience.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/25/technology/25brain.html?_r=1&adxnnl=1&hpw=&adxnnlx=1282932017-5FE6/gPiCwZSjjibtyshjg

The NY Times journalist of the story above was interviewed by NPR's Fresh Air and describes a scientific retreat he was able to attend with scientists studying the brain and gadget use. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=129384107