# Slow-motion multitasking
Most of us recognise the significant breakthrough Charles Darwin's ideas bring. We, however, often neglect how much time he needed to finally publish the writing:
- The Origin of Species: 22 years (1837 - 1859)
- The Descent of Man: 32 years (1839 - 1871)
- The Formation Of Vegetable Mold Through The Action Of Worms: 44 years (1837 - 1881)
Notice how not only these ideas took time to develop, but they were also developing in parallel. Tim Hardford calls this idea slow-motion multitasking. Slow-motion is the emphasis here as the non slow-motion mode in contrast is counterproductive (Multitasking is an impossible task)
Niklas Luhmann has also demonstrated pattern where it took him 29.5 years to finally publish "The Society of Society", whilst working on other ideas simultaneously in his slip-box. (Luhmann always worked on something easier and interesting)
# References
Ahrens, How to Take Smart Notes (p. 14).
When he finished the final chapter, almost exactly 29 and a half years later, as a two-volume book with the title of "The Society of Society" (1997)
# Backlinks
- Context switching helps when you get stuck
- When Luhmann got stuck, he will write on a different book (Luhmann always worked on something easier and interesting). Authors, who are Slow-motion multitasking, also switched context when they got stuck. In the Stack Overflow Developer Survey 2020 (opens new window), 54.4% of the respondents would Do other work and come back later when they got stuck; considering that this is the highest option after Visit Stack Overflow, it is quite a significant number. Context switching, therefore, can be helpful when you get stuck. If getting stuck is unproductive, then context switching is not always harmful for productivity.