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> The secret is to surround yourself with people who don't > have the same agenda as you Absolutely. I was called for Jury Duty a few months back. No courts

> The secret is to surround yourself with people who don't > have the same agenda as you Absolutely. I was called for Jury Duty a few months back. No courts ended up needing jurors during my two week service, so I ended up sitting in a comfortable room with wifi and a bunch of people I didn't know who weren't interested in what I was doing. I got more work done in those two weeks than I had sitting in my office or working from home. It was magical. The next time a heavy deadline rolls around I'm considering packing my stuff and heading to the university library -- anywhere where I can reattain that ambient sociability.

btam 15y ago
There's also the possibility that this comes more from the change in atmosphere than the particular atmosphere that you change to. Maybe for some people here the change to an atmosphere of ambient sociability is just more of a contrast than the alternatives they've tried. I've heard and have a lot of anecdotal evidence that would suggest this, but of course that's anecdotal evidence. However, I think most of the answers here are influenced at least somewhat by this. Thoughts?
- bf84 15y ago
  I had read years ago that studying in different locations tends to increase retention of material. Don't have the reference anymore. Maybe there is a general principle of physical novelty stimulating or "prepping" the brain for intellectual work. Just speculation, though...
- rudasn 15y ago
  I think you are referring to the Hawthorn effect/experiment: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawthorne_effect http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawthorne_effect
qq66 15y ago
They kept you there for two weeks without a trial? What country?
- generalk 15y ago
  No, they kept me available for jury service for two weeks. 10:00am: show up at courthouse. Get some free coffee, sit in the juror's assembly room. 12:00pm: Lunch break 1:30pm: Back from lunch. 3:00pm: If courts needed no jurors, go home. Do that for two weeks, get paid $20 per day by the courts for my time. Franklin County Municipal Court, Columbus Ohio, United States. While I'm here I urge anyone also in this area to attend jury service if called. The jury commissioner is awesome.

btam 15y ago

There's also the possibility that this comes more from the change in atmosphere than the particular atmosphere that you change to. Maybe for some people here the change to an atmosphere of ambient sociability is just more of a contrast than the alternatives they've tried. I've heard and have a lot of anecdotal evidence that would suggest this, but of course that's anecdotal evidence. However, I think most of the answers here are influenced at least somewhat by this. Thoughts?

bf84 15y ago
I had read years ago that studying in different locations tends to increase retention of material. Don't have the reference anymore. Maybe there is a general principle of physical novelty stimulating or "prepping" the brain for intellectual work. Just speculation, though...
rudasn 15y ago
I think you are referring to the Hawthorn effect/experiment: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawthorne_effect http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawthorne_effect

qq66 15y ago

They kept you there for two weeks without a trial? What country?

generalk 15y ago
No, they kept me available for jury service for two weeks. 10:00am: show up at courthouse. Get some free coffee, sit in the juror's assembly room. 12:00pm: Lunch break 1:30pm: Back from lunch. 3:00pm: If courts needed no jurors, go home. Do that for two weeks, get paid $20 per day by the courts for my time. Franklin County Municipal Court, Columbus Ohio, United States. While I'm here I urge anyone also in this area to attend jury service if called. The jury commissioner is awesome.