Robert Frost famously wrote: " The woods are…

Robert Frost famously wrote: " The woods are lovely, dark and beep." But such natural settings may offer more than just beauty. They might also foster creativity. A recent study suggests that a backpacking trip can substantially increase just how incentive your brain can be. The finding is in the journal PLoS ONE. Researchers sent 56 subjects out on four-to-six day wilderness hiking trips without access to electronic devices - no cell phones, no iPads, no game boys, nothing. Upon their return, the hikers took tests designed to measure diversity. A control group that hadn't been in the woods scored a 4.14 out of 10 on the test. But the woods wanderers scored a 6.08. Previous studies have shown that down time in general makes people more creative. The researchers thus say that this creativity boost is probably due to not just nature, but to taking a break from the stresses of work and technology. So the next time you get stuck on a tough problem, or can't seem to concrete - try a walk in the woods. It could help your creative promise.