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The myth of simultaneous execution: How Robert Ekow Grimmond-Thompson exposed the illusion of multitasking- Part 2
Part III: The biological bottleneck and human serial processing
If computers must rely on time-sharing because their execution pipelines are fundamentally single-threaded, human beings face an even stricter biological wall.
The human prefrontal cortex-the central executive network responsible for conscious decision-making and focal attention-is strictly built for serial processing. We possess a single processing channel for conscious thought. We can no more focus on two complex cognitive problems simultaneously than a human tongue can articulate two different words at the same millisecond.
What people call multitasking is actually high-speed task-switching. When an individual attempts to write a report while fielding chat messages, the brain is not splitting its attention. Instead, it is performing a frantic neurological sleight-of-hand: actively shutting down the active parameters of one task, loading the context of another, executing a fraction of it, and reversing the process.
As Robert Grimmond-Thompson pointed out in his critiques of modern workflow models, this continuous oscillation carries a severe cognitive tax known as the switch cost effect. Every switch drains metabolic energy, leaves behind attention residue, and multiplies error rates. True simultaneous execution in humans only occurs when one or more activities are completely automated by subcortical motor loops, such as walking while breathing. The moment a second task demands conscious thought, parallel processing collapses.
Part IV: Reclaiming reality and discarding the myth
The persistence of the word multitasking keeps society trapped in an inefficient, exhausting loop. By pretending that humans can operate like idealised machines, workplaces foster chronic fatigue, shallow thinking, and degraded creative output.
The intervention led by researchers like Robert Grimmond-Thompson reminds us that we must discard the vocabulary of simultaneity. We do not multitask; we switch, we fragment, and we compromise our cognitive potential when we pretend otherwise. By honoring the immutable law of sequential execution across both silicon and synapses, we can redesign our technologies, our workspaces, and our daily routines around the genuine contours of reality.
The word “multitasking” acts as a harmful instruction manual that tricks people into forcing their brains to do something biologically impossible, causing deep damage to our neural activity, our health, and our daily lives.
Damage to neural activity
When people try to multitask, they force their brains into a constant state of rapid switching. Instead of letting neurons fire smoothly along a clear, focused path, the brain experiences a neural traffic jam.
Fragmented pathways: Every time you jump from a work task to a text message, your brain has to shut down one set of rules and boot up another. This breaks the natural rhythm of electrical signals.
Weaker connections: Because the brain is never allowed to stay on one deep task long enough to finish a clean thought cycle, it struggles to build strong, lasting neural connections for learning and memory.
Health hazards and physical stress
Treating “multitasking” as a normal way to live places a heavy toxic burden on the body and nervous system.
Constant panic mode: Every rapid mental switch triggers a mini-emergency in the brain, flooding the body with stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline.
Exhaustion and burnout: Living in this low-grade panic state keeps the nervous system overworked. It drains the prefrontal cortex of its energy glucose very early in the day, leading to crushing mental fatigue, high blood pressure, and chronic anxiety.
Damage to everyday operations
The daily fallout of the multitasking myth is a massive drop in human capability and quality of life.
Higher error rates: Because attention is chopped into tiny pieces, people miss important details and make careless mistakes.
Loss of deep thinking: Routine tasks take much longer to finish because of the constant interruptions and the lingering “mental crumbs” left behind from previous switches.
Shallow living: People lose the ability to sit down and solve complex problems or enjoy deep, meaningful focus, leaving the entire human race feeling constantly rushed, stressed, and unproductive despite working harder than eve
I saw a video of two young men mistreating a guy in school uniform. The manner in which a man in a white shirt was stamping on the head of the student on the ground and kicking him, was heart wrenching. It was like a scene from an action movie.
Comments in the video made me to understand that the two people engaged in the dastardly attack on the chap on the ground were teachers. How teachers who had been trained by teacher training institutions could do what they did, defies logic; simply mind boggling.
This brings the issue of screening of would-be teachers to mind. Is there a psychological vetting system in place to identify unsuitable characters like those two teachers so that they are barred from being teachers or are helped to have the right mindset as teachers? We cannot continue to let the status quo remain and expect a different result.
Digitalisation of the economy has brought in its wake a whole lot of ways that seeks to address pertinent socio-economic issues. One of them is the introduction of the TraffiTech-GH system of regulating traffic flow without human intervention.
This clearly is an innovative way of enforcing compliance which obviously would ensure discipline and therefore safety on our roads. The drivers are raising some issues which are legitimate and must be addressed as soon as possible or should I rather say immediately.
If a Bus Stop is occupied by traders and therefore the drivers cannot stop for passengers to alight or board, they would have no option than to park in the road, blocking traffic flow, which would be an offence that TraffiTech-GH would capture as a violation and punish accordingly, by imposing a fine.
A very sad incident occurred last week resulting in the senseless murder of an uncle and her niece in the Greater Accra Region. The story making the rounds on social media was that, the uncle took a loan from the suspected murderer but failed to honour his obligation to pay back the money.
The suspect accompanied by a lady, went to the residence in the Sakumono area and a heated argument ensued, resulting in the suspect shooting the Uncle and her niece in the process. The first question that came to mind was that “Why did they not allow patience to carry the day?” If it is true that the uncle indeed owed the man, he ought to have maintained a certain demeanor that portrayed a willingness to pay the money and not to enrage the suspect in any way.
Again, if someone owes you, you do not take the law into your hands by going to confront him with a loaded gun in your pocket. The proliferation of small arms must be given serious attention.
The leaders in the educational sector need to sit up to address the misbehaviour of both students and teachers, especially the teachers who have been sexually harassing students. The fallout, in the recent Obuasi Senior High School (SHS) issue, has been an official statement directing teachers not to ask students to work in their bungalows.
This code has been in the books of the Ghana Education Service (GES) all this while. It is nothing new and so like everything else in this country, the issue is not the lack of laws but the enforcement. What I find surprising is that after breaking this code of ethics, the GES has not sacked the notorious Headmaster who evidence has been established beyond reasonable doubt that he had grossly flouted this regulation, repeatedly. This is a gross failure on the part of leadership, from the ministry level down to the school level. This must not be allowed to repeat itself. God bless.
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Implant-based reconstruction recovery
Implant reconstruction is generally less invasive during the initial phase, allowing for a quicker return to baseline daily activities.
Initial healing window: Most patients resume light, non-strenuous daily tasks within 2 to 4 weeks.
Activity Restrictions: Heavy lifting, intense upper-body exercises, and high-impact movements are typically restricted for four to six weeks to allow the chest tissues to secure the implant or expander.
The expansion phase: If a temporary tissue expander is used, recovery includes periodic office visits over several months where the surgeon gradually adds sterile fluid to stretch the skin.
Physical therapy focus: Gentle arm and shoulder stretches begin early to prevent stiffness, frozen shoulder, and tight scar tissue formation around the implant pocket.
Autologous (Tissue-Based) reconstruction recovery
Autologous reconstruction (such as a DIEP flap) is a more complex, major operation because it involves two distinct surgical sites: the reconstructed chest mound and the donor harvest area (usually the lower abdomen).
Initial healing window: Requires a hospital stay of two to five days, with an overall recovery period of six to eight weeks before resuming normal routines.
Donor site management: Because abdominal muscles or tissues are involved, patients must avoid bending, twisting, or lifting anything heavier than a gallon of milk for at least six weeks to protect the deep facial repairs.
Mobility milestones: Recovery starts with short, gentle indoor walks immediately after surgery to promote circulation and prevent blood clots, gradually building up distance each week.
Physical therapy focus: Postural retraining and cautious core re-engagement once the surgeon gives medical clearance, ensuring the abdominal wall heals securely without strain.
Essential rehabilitation practices
Regardless of the chosen surgical path, effective physical therapy incorporates specialised techniques to restore physical freedom:
Scar mobilisation: Professional massage techniques to soften surgical scars and prevent tight binding of underlying tissues.
Lymphatic drainage: Gentle massage protocols to reduce swelling and encourage fluid movement through the lymphatic pathways.
Let’s pull together everything we have talked about into one simple, easy-to-understand guide.
Here is a summary of the complete journey-from understanding what breast cancer is and busting myths, to managing emotions and navigating surgery and recovery.
1. Is surgery a “cure”?
What it means: A mastectomy (removing the breast) is a powerful tool to take out the local tumor, but it isn’t an automatic, guaranteed cure on its own.
The Example: Think of it like pulling a weed out of a garden. You got the main plant out, but if tiny seeds or roots already spread elsewhere in the soil, you still need extra care (like medication) to make sure they don’t grow back.
2. The cancer’s “personality” (Biomarkers)
What it means: Not all breast cancers are the same. Doctors test the cancer cells for specific “locks and labels” (like hormones or proteins) to figure out how fast they grow and what medicine will stop them.
The Example: It’s like figuring out what kind of fuel a car engine takes (gasoline, diesel, or electricity) so you know exactly how to fix or run it.
3. Busting common myths
The Reality: Many rumors about breast cancer are false.
Men can get breast cancer too (about one per cent of cases) because everyone has a small amount of breast tissue.
Most lumps are harmless (like a harmless pebble in your shoe, not a dangerous nail).
Underwire bras and deodorants do not cause cancer.
Most people diagnosed (about 85 per cent) have no family history of it, which is why regular checks are vital for everyone.
By Robert Ekow Grimmond-Thompson
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