I read in some book (I think it was, “The Orgins of Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bi-Cameral Mind”, a very fancy sounding title, but very readable and easy to understand) that most scientific discoveries are not made in the laboratory, but what the author said is called, “the 3 Bs”: the Bed, the Bath, and the Bus.

The idea is, when the rational mind is lulled into relaxation, and you have nothing to do but stare at the tap or out the bus window, or attempt to fall asleep, the intuitive mind finally gets a chance to be heard. This is when the great insights occur, and pieces of the puzzle, maybe assembled in the lab, fall into place.

For me, another B is the bike: it’s when I’m riding to/from work (especially on the trail, where traffic isn’t a constant distraction) that realizations suddenly pop into my mind.

The shower works for me too, but nothing is better than walking at the beach to help me have good ideas.
_{Maybe I should go for a walk this week…}