Albert Einstein spent ten years struggling to solve the mysteries of time. One evening, he heard a clock strike. He pictured himself on a tram moving away at the speed of light. In a flash, he had the answer!¹

Einstein was a genius. But physicist Tim Palmer says these "leaps of imagination" make us human. We have noisy brains that make us creative.

In science, noise means random data. Scientists try to avoid it in their experiments. But Palmer thinks they can make computers more accurate by adding random numbers. He is inspired by the human brain.

Every second, 80 billion neuronsNeurons, also known as nerve cells, are cells in the nervous system that use chemical or electrical signals to transmit information throughout the body.  process many gigabytes of data. It uses far less power than the world's fastest supercomputersA class of extremely powerful computers..

It can be hard to stay focused with so much going on. Our minds wander and we daydream.

PsychologistSomeone who studies the mind, emotions and behaviour. Daniel Kahneman says some kinds of problems need your undivided attention. "Anything that uses your working memory," he writes, "reduces your ability to think."

Psychologist Nick Perham says students perform worse in distracting environments.

But other research recommends background noise to make the mind work harder.² "Instead of burying yourself in a quiet room," says researcher Ravi Mehta, "a noisy environment may trigger the brain to think abstractlyNot based on practical or concrete examples, instead based on general theory and thinking. ."

Multitasking creates a lot of "crazy ideas", says Tim Palmer. Many will be bad. Afterwards, we need to think quietly and choose the best ideas.

A common belief is that people are either right or left-brained. If you are good at maths, your left side is dominant. If your right side is stronger, you are artistic.

This is a myth, experts say. Brain scans show that thinking uses both sides of the brain. Maths needs creativity and great art needs logical thought.

The world is noisy and many try to find focus in quiet places. But are there also benefits to a busy life?

Yes:  If you shut yourself away without any distractions, your thoughts will spiral in circles and go nowhere. To be inspired, you need a bit of chaos.

No: You cannot be creative if you do not finish things. Modern life has too many distractions and insufficient space to focus and get things done. We need silence to concentrate and think clearly.

Or...  A flash of inspiration is a misleading idea. Einstein's brainwave came after years of hard work. Creativity is a long process of learning, practice and reflection. It needs both a noisy and a quiet brain.

Neurons - Neurons, also known as nerve cells, are cells in the nervous system that use chemical or electrical signals to transmit information throughout the body. 

Supercomputers - A class of extremely powerful computers.

Psychologist - Someone who studies the mind, emotions and behaviour.

Abstractly - Not based on practical or concrete examples, instead based on general theory and thinking.