1. The float tank can help us reflect on life.
We are constantly connected to our computers, smartphones, and televisions throughout the day. How often do we have to be with ourselves to reflect on life?
2. Allows you to approach problems from a different perspective.[1]
Because the tank environment is unlike any other experience on earth, it provides a great opportunity to totally focus on a problem at hand without distractions.
3. You can learn things faster in the tank.[2]</li> As talked about in the The Book of Floating by Michael Hutchison there is a phenomena known as superlearning, which allows you to learn things faster than outside of the tank.
   
4. Float tanks can allow you to achieve a sense of well being[3]</li> There have been studies that show float tanks can help you live a happier life. This is probably due to the fact that you are spending time with yourself and this can allow you to deal with problems that may be bothering you.
5. Can reduce the hormone cortisol</li> Why is this beneficial? Well, cortisol is known as a stress hormone which is released in response to stress. If you can lower this hormone it may help you feel less stressed and more relaxed. </ol>
   
   
   [1]"The Effects of REST and Hemispheric Synchronization Compared to the Effects of REST and Guided Imagery on the Enhancement of Creativity in Problem-Solving" - Baker D.A
   [2]"The effects of flotation restricted environmental stimulation therapy on learning: subjective evaluation and EEG measurements" - Taylor, T.
   [3]"Case studies on fibromyalgia and burn-out depression using psychotherapy in combination with flotation-REST: Personality development and increased well-being." - Åsenlöf, K., Olsson, S., Bood, S. Å., & Norlander, T.

Floating

This blog is going to be about floating and software development.

Floating is the act of using a sensory deprivation/isolation tank in order to remove yourself from all of your senses. The tank can be used to help people recover from workouts, relax, help with PTSD, addictions, and other mental illnesses.

There are various types of tanks, some of which are small and look like a bathtub with a roof over them, while others are larger, open and fill the size of a room.

How it works

The float tank is filled with around 800-1,000 lbs of Epsom salt which allows the user to float without any effort. The density of the water is greater than the dead sea which can allow you to completely relax when lying in it. The temperature of the water is also heated to the same temperature of the skin so you cannot feel where the water ends and the air begins. Also, there is no light and ideally no sound. Being deprived of all of your senses can put your body into an extremely relaxed state.

What a float tank looks like:

Open tank, especially useful for people with claustrophobia

Some look futuristic

Others are big enough to stand up in

Another futuristic tank

Development

The term “software development” has a lot of misconceptions associated with it. People may hear this term and think about a nerdy kid in his mom’s basement programming a website. Others may think of a scene from The Social Network when they were having a “Hackathon”. When I tell people that I am a developer many of people will give me an “ooh/ahh” and explain how they have no idea how to code. With this blog I would like to help debunk the myth that coding is hard. If you know basic math and logic you can program. It just takes time to learn these basic concepts, but anyone can do it. Development teaches you how to problem solve and to approach problems from a different perspective.

Quotes:

“Everybody in this country should learn how to program a computer… because it teaches you how to think.” - Steve Jobs

“Talk is cheap. Show me the code.” ― Linus Torvalds