Wiseman say: Relax
With apologies to Frankie Goes to Hollywood. And maybe Confucius.
Richard Wiseman at TAM 5
Richard Wiseman is a professor of Psychology at the University of Hertfordshire in the UK. He is many things, in fact: a friend, a trickster, and, of course, my evil twin. He also runs the website Quirkology, where he dissects, well, quirks; weird things people do, think, and believe. He wrote a whole book on it called, duh, Quirkology.
Richard Wiseman, in repose.
I was reminded of Richard’s latest when I opened my new issue of Science magazine: there was a picture of him, lit eerily in blue and green lights, lying on the floor. He is inside what he is billing as “the world’s most relaxing room”. It is specifically designed to soothe the savage breast, carefully crafted to maximize relaxation and minimize stress. It’s 160 meters square, is bathed in warm lighting, has delicate smells wafting through it, and is gently infused with calming music. Richard designed it along with colleagues who study the effects of environment on humans.
Quirkology, indeed.
It’s a pretty good idea, actually, especially for those of us who write for three blogs, try to manage an organization, write books, deal with families, and have to clean up after a cat who sometimes decides the whole fracking living room is her litter box.
[glances around]
Uh, sorry there. Maybe I do indeed need this room. But looking at Richard’s photo there, I think I’d probably freak out if I were lying there. I’d have flashbacks to my brother’s black light parties back in the 70s.
But who am I to argue with a professor who studied this very issue? It might be worth a few shillings (or Euros or pence or farthings or whatever the heck they use in the UK these days) to lie there for a while and let a room osmosify my woes away.
As long as my cat stays away from it.
Image credits: Ensceptico (on Flickr) and the University of Hertfordshire.
3 Blogs?? Bad Astronomy, this one and which am I missing out on?!
mmmm, I would have thought that what helps an individual relax would be very subjective, for a start I’d want something comfortable to lie on and having to pay would be very stressful well for me anyway. What if you don’t like the delicate smell. World’s most relaxing room eh. I for one am very sceptical.
Mmm…I also like to “sooth the savage breast.” Freudian slip?
For the record:
– “Sooth the save breast” is the correct quote.
– Phil is Richard’s evil twin (not the other way around, as Phil evily insinuated).
– Phil’s third blog is Swift for the JREF. (or am I missing some astronomy blog?)
– I write for four blogs (I’m just sayin’.)
@Sam:
The JREF blog (Swift). http://www.randi.org
Dr Plait, are you sure you’re not HIS evil twin? You seem intent on Death from the Skies and the destruction of the earth in general. ;)
Darn… I step away while reading, and I see Dr Novella beat me to it… And he beat Alejandro too. I need more coffee.
Okay, how did the WMMR interview go Dr. Plait?
I dunno… looks a little too Altered States-y for me.
Keep an eye on Dr. W, in case he suddenly regresses and starts running around naked in the gazelle cage at the zoo. Again.
I am intrigued that he is a Professor at the University of Hertfordshire which is based in Hatfield. When I was growing up during 1960s in a nearby town to we had a very dim view of Hatfield’s inhabitants – knuckle draggers mainly – and the University was a polytechnic (technical college). But it now has a famous Professor! and a fascinating speaker who I enjoy listening to. He must have raised the average IQ of the town by several points just on his own!
Farthings? You don’t get much for a farthing these days, but you can still lie down for nothing.
Wait just a minnit, here!
Bald.
Glasses.
This isn’t Plait’s evil twin, it’s Hrab’s!
A room 160 meters square? By my calculations that is about 275,000 square feet; enough to contain about five football fields. That’s some room. Are you sure that shouldn’t be 160 square meters?
haha I have a cat too man I feel your pain lol
Every graduate school should be equipped with this room. Want!
Quirkology was one of the most entertaining non-fiction books I’ve ever read (until I read Death from the Skies!, of course.) Zeus help us all if you, Wiseman, George Hrab, and Moby, ever get together and the fate of the world depends on us picking out the real Phil Plait from 20 feet away while you’re all sitting down.
JP, 160 metres square is big enough for five football fields you say? They must be pretty small football fields. I’m guessing you’re talking about either soccer or NFL footy fields. I’m used to Australian Rules Football grounds, which aren’t all the same size but they are roughly oval shaped with a length of around 140 – 165m or so and a width of maybe 110 to 150m or so, so you’d only fit maybe one and half footy fields of this type in that area. :)
Also I second BJ’s comment about soothing savage breasts :)
Reminds me of the world’s most comfortable chair.
http://www.the-trades.com/pictures/T/TickVsSeason2Stillcap.jpg
Listening to a recording of Bob Ross, I can relax even in a dentist’s chair.