Scientists have proven that the brain can work in true multitasking mode

Researchers at Georgetown University in the US discovered that the brain physically restructures itself while learning a new skill and automates repeated actions. The findings refute previous theories that true multitasking is impossible. It also sheds light on how the brain not only switches rapidly between tasks but also learns to do multiple things at the same time.

As part of the experiment, volunteers classified images of cars via a mobile app for 5 to 10 weeks, completing more than 30 thousand trials. Scientists examined the participants' brain activity before and after the training using fMRI and EEG methods. At the beginning of the processing phase, the task activated the prefrontal cortex, which governs conscious decisions.

After a few weeks of practice, brain activity shifted to the temporal cortex, which is associated with memory and recognizing complex objects. The study's lead author, Patrick Cox, stated that this situation overcame the "bottleneck" in the prefrontal regions, transmitting information directly to the response centers. Scientists believe this discovery could help study automatic behaviors such as tendencies and harmful habits.