After school yesterday, Alex, a 15-year-old student, stated he would do his homework as soon as he was ready. According to Alex, who was lying in bed scrolling through his phone, “Later is definitely a real time.” However, he had not yet decided how much longer it would be until he actually started his homework.

Initially, Alex did make an attempt to begin. He opened his computer and viewed his assignment for about 10 seconds before determining that he should probably take a short break.

After taking that break, Alex transitioned to watching just a few videos, then a few more, and two hours passed. He had learned several things that will not matter to him at all. However, had he done his math?

When Alex was finally asked the dreaded question, “Have you finished your homework?”, he replied confidently, “Yes, I am getting there.” This was technically correct, as he had been thinking about it.

At 11:45 p.m., when Alex reopened the assignment and checked the due time, he realized he had only 14 minutes remaining to complete and submit it. According to scientists, this is when teenagers unlock their hidden power to complete an entire assignment in 14 minutes or less.

The results of this phenomenon are still being studied.