Nonsense sharpens the intellect
A recent study suggests that contrary to what seems logical, nonsense may provide space for the brain to detect patterns in it would otherwise miss.
Researchers familiar with the new work say it would be premature to incorporate film shorts by David Lynch, say, or compositions by John Cage into school curriculums. For one thing, no one knows whether exposure to the absurd can help people with explicit learning, like memorizing French. For another, studies have found that people in the grip of the uncanny tend to see patterns where none exist — becoming more prone to conspiracy theories, for example. The urge for order satisfies itself, it seems, regardless of the quality of the evidence.
Regardless, short films and music should be part of all school curricula.
