"The peak of Balmer": myth or reality? Why do programmers like to work at night? Steve Ballmer

What is the "peak of Ballmer", and what impact does it have on performance? A lot of research has been done that checked how alcohol and night work affect the central nervous system of the programmer and his productivity. Why do programmers like to work at night and is it worth doing? Readers will learn about this from the article.

Phenomenon

What is the "peak of Ballmer"? This is an amazing phenomenon, according to which the programmer's performance depends on the amount of alcohol consumed during work. Many scientists and programmers themselves confirm the positive influence of alcohol on creativity, endurance, memory, the ability to solve complex problems in a short time. Productivity depends not only on the amount of alcohol consumed, but also on the time of day.

The so-called "peak" was opened in the eighties at Microsoft. Until now, there is no correct explanation why alcohol in a certain dosage has a positive effect on the programmer's performance. The correct concentration of alcohol in the blood should be between 0.129 and 0.138%. Many wonder why, at such doses, a programmer gets superhuman abilities, and whether this is really so. It must be remembered that the "peak" discovered by Steve Balmer is a subtle enough effect that requires a certain calibration. Work at night contributes to this effect, reinforces it many times and is even considered a necessary condition for achieving it.

Truth or Fiction

"The peak of Balmer" - a myth or reality? Some programmers still use alcohol as a positive factor for productive work at night. Solving complex problems requires a certain attitude, concentration, endurance. After the adoption of a certain dose of alcohol, there is an objective limitation of the range of possibilities, the degree of perception is narrowed, introvertness is increased. The paradox is that in a relaxed state (moderate), programmers show better results.

In some cases, the central nervous system slows down, the perception spectrum decreases. Alcohol is contraindicated in people who try to relax while driving a car, but for creative purposes it is even useful (in small doses). "The peak of Ballmer" is characterized by the fact that the programmer improves concentration of attention, reduces the internal tension and the threshold of self-criticism. According to the doctors, this phenomenon is explained quite simply: alcohol itself interferes with the normal functioning of the brain, dulls attention, reduces the reaction rate.

In this situation, the brain continues to seek resources for activities, ceases to concentrate on small things, which distract from the solution of the problem. At some point, the programmer starts to see the solution of the problem or question, that is, the picture as a whole, and not in details (as a sober person). This effect is also called "healthy pofigizmom."

Who is it?

Many do not know who Steve Ballmer is. "Microsoft Corporation," in which he worked for fourteen years as CEO, owes a lot to this man. Before becoming a director, he was an ordinary ordinary employee, who was invited to work by Bill Gates in the 1980s. To date, Ballmer is considered one of the richest people in the world. His fortune is estimated at $ 15 billion. Working in a corporation, he led the development of Windows and MC-DOS. During the management of Ballmer, the corporation increased its revenues severalfold. Steve Ballmer is known for his complex, explosive nature, high demands on the employees of the corporation. The disadvantages of the leadership of Ballmer include the weak position of Microsoft in the field of Internet search, untimely (late) entry into the mobile devices market, missed opportunities, a drop in corporate shares by more than thirty percent.

At the same time, Steve Ballmer is considered one of the most eccentric leaders in the history of Microsoft. It was he who discovered the effect of the programmer's alcohol productivity and called it the "peak of Ballmer." We can say that Ballmer for the first time on his own body examined the effect of a certain dose of alcohol, which had a positive effect on performance.

Study

According to a scientific study that tested the reliability of the "peak", scientists came to the conclusion that alcohol has different effects on the brain. A human programmer has certain abilities, knowledge and skills that can give concrete results in a certain environment. In a scientific study, programmers took part who at night, under the influence of certain doses of alcohol, performed complex tasks. The study showed that some really coped with the work without losing concentration. Many programmers took the "peak" as an opportunity to drink. Negative experience of research "peak Ballmer" is that on this topic they speculate and even release special alcoholic cocktails for programmers of the same name. The scientists came to the conclusion that the so-called "peak" is nothing but the result of a good advertising campaign.

The Perfect Programmer

Programmatic abilities are special qualities that characterize a professional in the field of IT-technologies.

• Technical skills. A good programmer has experience developing in different programming languages.
• Readiness for training. Valuable frame is always ready for retraining, he likes to do self-education and do not stop there.
• Debugging. The programmer not only creates the code, but quickly gets to the essence of the problem (errors in the code).
• Ability to work in any environment. Possible noise, chaos and confusion in the office ideally do not interfere with the focus of the programmer, who knows his business.
• Ability to solve problems quickly. A good specialist finds different ways of solving a problem and does not stop halfway.
• Passion for work. Real programmers spend their free time at the computer (play games, collect servers, create applications). Is it useful for health? No. But they do not know how.
• Resistance to stress. The ideal programmer copes with any complex situation.
• Ability to communicate with people. Despite the fact that communicating with a computer is the responsibility of a programmer, it is equally important for people to find a common language.
• Understanding business processes. A good specialist knows how the business works.
• Ability to plan. A programmer is an employee who requires time planning skills, which positively affects the work and successful accomplishment of the assigned tasks.
• Overcoming failures. Ability to cope with failures in work is a valuable ability of a professional.
• Teamwork. A programmer is a loner who, if necessary, can work productively in a team.
• Readiness for research. Working in a team can sometimes be the beginning of research.
• Deadlines. Ability in a short time to take work - the useful quality of a good professional.

How much should I drink

In order to experience a peak in productivity, it is necessary to know what dose of alcohol is required. Of course, we are not talking about the state of total loss of control over ourselves and the situation. The amount of alcohol depends on the constitution, the weight of a person. For the eighty-kilogram programmer, the optimal dose for men is 0.05% (a liter of beer or one hundred grams of vodka). In order to reach the "peak", you need to drink 250 grams of vodka or 2.5 liters of beer. For women, this dose is much less. Remember that alcohol is harmful to health, therefore it is not recommended to put experiments on yourself to achieve a "special" condition.

Alcoholic peak

"Balmer Peak" is a specific condition, during which the brain concentrates on a particular problem under the influence of alcohol. At the "peak" you need to create, if it is achieved, and not enjoy the state of intoxication. This is the difference between productive activity and a simple desire to drink. In addition, it is important to monitor the level of alcohol in the blood. If you miss the "peak", there will come an ordinary intoxication that does not allow you to work, and think - especially. It is easy enough to lose control if the "peak" system is not automated and not perfected.

Right time

Why do programmers work at night? One of the most objective versions is associated with the "peak of Balmer." According to Steve Ballmer, explanations should be made to the law of Yerkes-Dodson, which established the relationship between excitation of the central nervous system and work capacity. In addition, working at night can be a necessity that is not related to the desire of the programmer. In any case, among the "IT specialists" there is a rule: "Night is the right time". Given the combination of many factors, you can achieve the goal. To work at night means not to have sufficient level of self-organization and self-control, but to have a great psychological potential and resource. Night is the ideal time for an IT specialist to work. At night, it's difficult to get distracted by trivialities and easily concentrate on the task. Under the influence of a minimum amount of alcohol, this is made even easier.

Negative experience

Needless to say, working at night in a state of easy intoxication and excitation of the central nervous system may not bring the desired results to the programmer. Some experts have expressed negative experience about the "peak of Balmer", which can lead to loss of concentration at the initial stages and even to alcoholism. Negative experience is that in the pursuit of productivity and the opening of the potential, it is easy to cross the border. The work will be associated with the opportunity to drink alone, which inevitably leads to the degradation of professional and personal.

Harm

Ballmer's peak is a phenomenon that can be harmed to a greater extent than to give a positive effect. As you know, alcohol is one of the ways to "release superfluous steam," but it can also have a negative impact on the psycho-emotional and physical health of a person. If you regularly use alcohol to reach the "peak of Balmer", you can develop a negative bad habit, and the work will be perceived as an opportunity to drink once more alone. In addition, alcohol (in the case, if uncontrolled to use) adversely affects the health, reactions and performance. Over time, the programmer will not be able to perform even basic tasks.

Benefit

Well-known programmers say that success in professional activity can be achieved only due to their own knowledge, the ability to independently regulate their own behavior. Limited capacity is a factor in the positive effect of the "peak of Ballmer." The use of small doses of alcohol, necessary for solving complex problems, is not justified, as it is one of the ways to achieve results in the shortest possible time.

Successful individuals

Many famous programmers know what work is like at night. Are there among them those who use alcohol to improve productivity and solve complex problems, is not known for certain. Among the popular personalities in programming Konrad Zuse, Kemeni John, Dijkstra Edsger Vaib, Ershov Andrey Petrovich, Douglas Karl Engelbart, Bill Gates, Paul Allen, Kaspersky Evgeny Valentinovich, Evgeny Roshal, Sergey Brin, Andrew Tanenbaum, Linus Torvalds, Steve Jobs. For example, Bill Gates developed and founded the world's leading software company Microsoft. In addition, he created the operating system MS DOS, Excel and Word.