How can I work with all this noise around?

Via Instapundit, a look at open offices and what they bring.
More sickness and less focused work.
There’s one big reason we’d all love a space with four walls and a door that shuts: focus. The truth is, we can’t multitask and small distractions can cause us to lose focus for upwards of 20 minutes.
Back to work - in a few.