
In a word-play study, half were given two pints of beer, the other half no alcohol. Those who got the pints solved 40% more of the problems that their sober counterparts. They also finished the problems faster - in 12 compared to 15.5 seconds.
It seems this only applies to this type of creative problem, and not memory though. “We found at 0.07 blood alcohol, people were worse at working memory tasks, but they were better at creative problem-solving tasks,” says Wiley. The consumption of alcohol likely helped participants by removing focus, focus that at times is good but for innovation can be a hindrance.
Of course, the caveat is to be responsible, and we can't drink at work. But I am sure we can all recall a happy hour or other work outing where the addition of a tasty beverage or two led to an 'a-ha' moment with a great new idea or solution.
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