[swift]

The phenomenon of being "in the zone" is considered real by most psychologists, as far as I'm aware. See here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flow_%28psychology%29

FWIW while I think interruptions are a real problem, I have certainly encountered some people who I think demand more quiet than is really needed. But some of this may just come down to differences in how tolerant people are of noise, or perhaps how stressed they are.

[TheOtherHobbes]

It seems there may also be a link between creativity and sensitivity to ambient noise.

http://www.northwestern.edu/newscenter/stories/2015/03/creat...