Brain Farts

[Sci-Fi]

I hate them, HATE THEM!! I get them often too. What's a brain fart some of you may ask? Well...

A brain fart (jocularly derived from "brainstorm") is slang for a special kind of abnormal brain activity which results in human error while performing a repetitive task, or more generally denoting a degree of mental laxity or any task-related forgetfulness, such as forgetting how to hold a fork. Tom Eichele, a neuroscientist at the University of Bergen in Norway, was part of an international team of researchers who identified activity detectable in brain scans up to 30 seconds before a mistake, which could be referred to as a brain fart, occurs. The researchers suspect the abnormal behavior is the result of the brain attempting to save effort on a task by entering a more restful state. The scientists detailed their findings on 21 April 2008 online in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The scientific term they gave the phenomenon is "maladaptive brain activity change."

Personally I've never forgotten how to use a fork, my brain farts are more in relaying information or describing things to people. I know what it is, or what I'm talking about, but then comes the moment of truth and...durr...all goes bye bye.

Take this morning (just like five minutes before starting this post) I looked up a specific type of screw I need (no not that but thanks for thinking dirty). It's a cap socket type torque head M5 x 20 screw (I know that means nothing to most of you). I wrote down the M5 x 20 torque because that is very important in getting the right size.

While talking to my local fastener supplier he asked what type of screw it is, pan head, tapered, and do you think I can remember? No, even holding the **** thing in my hand. I described it as cylinder shaped. Talk about sounding like an idiot! We had a good laugh at my expense.

This tends to happen way too often with me. Once at a customer service seminar the speaker was talking about proper phone etiquette. Of course he decides to have audience participation, I HATE that, I'm praying he doesn't ask me...and of course he does. So he starts his part "ring, ring" (he was calling me on his imaginary phone). Me, I'm...durr...as per usual. Worst thing is we had just discussed it and I did pay attention, I knew what to say, I just completely forgot everything when I was put on the hot spot. Of course like this morning laughter ensued which them just added to my embarrassment.

I try to write notes, but I lose them or forget about them when the time comes. I was once told by a former co-worker that I need a secretary just to keep track of my thoughts. I'm surprised I don't have fumes always coming out of my ears or major gas build up. Just don't light a match anywhere near my head, it may result in a massive toxic explosion of epic proportions.

Anyone else have brain farts?

 

[I'm Fine]

I've never forgotten how to use a fork either but I HAVE looked at words on paper and they made absolutely no sense to me - they might as well have been hieroglyphs. I once wrote down my name as someone elses (it was a test at school so it was doubly embarrassing as it raised issues of cheating which only got resolved when they saw my answers were different). I forget my age all the time and have to LITERALLY work it out there and then which, since I'm put on the spot, is usually wrong as my maths goes out of the window (as does everything else when needed) so it looks like I'm fudging my age. I've also often tried to give my mothers phone number as mine (probably because I never ring mine and always ring hers). And, as if that lot isn't enough, I'm ALWAYS forgetting what I'm doing. Things like that happen to me all the time.

 

[evanescencefan91]

like when you want to call someone who's number you know and you ended up dialing someone elses number


or when i was in 3rd grade or something i forgot how to spell a as in this is "a" kitty

seriously a one letter word and i forgot who to spell it

 

[Spare]

I once couldn't find an elevator that was less than ten feet directly in front of me. But in my defense, it was.... um.... Okay, so there was no defense. It was just a total brain fart.

And no, there were no foreign substances involved.

 

[Dessa]

Take this morning (just like five minutes before starting this post) I looked up a specific type of screw I need (no not that but thanks for thinking dirty).

I need that type of screw! (Yes, dirty.)

I have Brain farts all the time. There was this one time I forgot how to spell this 1st grade word. What was it? Hmm..

 

[Starman]

i once dialled my payroll number when phoning home. when someone i didn't know answered i thought i was being burgled

 

[Badjedidude]

No brain involved for me.

I just fart.

 

[nerdygirl]

I forget my age all the time and have to LITERALLY work it out there and then which, since I'm put on the spot, is usually wrong as my maths goes out of the window (as does everything else when needed) so it looks like I'm fudging my age.

Oh my gosh, I thought I was the only one who did that!

 

[Sci-Fi]

Math isn't one of my strong suits either in everyday life, that's one of the things that go when I need it too. Even simple things like knowing the capacity of something. I hate having to use a calculator in front of someone for simple math, I try to hide it and use the calculator on the computer. :-/

 

[darkdigitaldiva]

A couple of years ago, three times in as many months I would be driving somewhere and suddenly not have the vaguest idea where I was going or even where I was. I would just keep driving until something looked familiar. Scarey and glad it hasn't happened any more.

I still have a problem searching for the one dang word when I am having a conversation and I have to talk around it and give a description, i.e., like if I can't think of "car" I say, "you know, that thing on 4 wheels that comes in colors and uses gas". Sheesh, getting older is such an adventure.

 

[Lonesome Crow]

Francis called me from her cell one night to pick her up. She was in a state of panic saying she couldnt find her cell phone. hahahahaaaaa

 

[Sci-Fi]

@darkdigitaldiva I hate when that happens, especially when it's a common simple word.

Crow that is pretty funny, my mom was once looking for her glasses and thought my brother and I hid them. They were on top of her head!

 

[fortasse]

Francis called me from her cell one night to pick her up. She was in a state of panic saying she couldnt find her cell phone. hahahahaaaaa

lol! That's like the time I turned on my car, and then freaked out because I couldn't find my car keys in my purse.