While we’re working on one thing, our prefrontal cortex (just behind the forehead, where executive decisions are made) brings both halves of the brain to bear on the task at hand. When we try to multitask (and that’s what is happening when we answer emails while working on a report), the brain splits the two sides into two separate teams. Our attention is almost literally divided. We forget things more easily and are three times more likely to make a mistake.
