To answer this question, American scientists asked more than 6,000 teams of two to develop new ideas on how to use a Frisbee. Half of the pairs were sitting together in the same room. The other half were alone and connected by video conference. The result: the ideas produced by duos working virtually were much less creative. Why? To focus our attention on the person we’re speaking to, we largely screen out the outside world. Our field of vision shrinks to the screen size. This visual constriction also seems to restrict the mental processes that encourage creative thinking. And when creative minds are sitting together, they allow their gazes to wander through the room and thus let their minds wander. This sets associations in motion that encourages inventiveness. Several follow-up tests confirm that the visual constriction in video conferences inhibits creativity.