When all the students tackled the same problems a second time, those who had done a simple, boring task during a break had more creative ideas than those who were assigned a tough cognitive puzzle, those who rested, or those who didn't take a break, says the study, co-authored by Jonathan Schooler, a psychology professor at the University of California at Santa Barbara.

WSJ: Tactics to Spark Creativity

She says she can't understand why Ms. Harris doesn't just take a break for a few years and then write more.

WSJ: How to Kill a Vampire (Series)

I've worked in the private sector and in every company I've worked, you couldn't take a smoke break paid or not paid.

BBC: Clocking cigarette breaks: Your comments

"Last year was the first year we didn't have to break into a car to take dogs out of the car park, " he said.

BBC: 90,000 people expected at Suffolk Show, says organiser

What, you didn't think the Kinect open source community would just take a break for the weekend, did you?

ENGADGET: Kinect lightsaber, and other inevitable milestones for the open-source robot eye (video)

Don't take our word for it, though -- jump on past the break for a video of Intel doing Eclair.

ENGADGET: Intel demos Android 2.1 on Moorestown smartphone (video)

We got to see the app in action, and walked away thoroughly impressed with both the speed of the app and the detailed models it produces -- but you don't have to take our word for it, see a sample spin and our hands-on video after the break.

ENGADGET: Hands-on with Arqball Spin, the app that lets you create interactive 3D models

And burglary statistics from the dorms don't distinguish forcible break-ins by outsiders from students who take advantage of an open door by helping themselves to a neighbor's BlackBerry.

FORBES: Keeping Campus Crime At Bay