Power Hour Reading: Drunk Tank Pink

Name of Book: Drunk Tank Pink

Name of Chapter: "Weather and Warmth"

Summary: Scientists have been noticing trends in human behavior in response to weather and have been trying to explain it since perhaps before the 1800's. In Drunk Tank Pink by Adam Alter, it is revealed that according to various experiments and observations made in the last century, warmth has the power to excites the brain and body, making the heart beat faster and encouraging testosterone levels to rise in males. Depending on the situation, the induced excitement can be interpreted in many different ways: from arousal to rage. An experiment conducted in Arizona found that road rage escalated when the temperature rose. Looking through history, tropical regions tended to participate in more civil conflicts (207-208).
Although rising temperatures can cause a bard sort of excitement, sunshine and warmth has also been linked again and again to physical and emotional well-being. Harry Harlow discovered that baby monkeys valued warmth more than nourishment (212), and another experiment found that students who held heated therapeutic packs felt less lonely (as opposed to those who held cooled packs) (213). On the sunshine aspect, exposure to light plays a large role in the release of melatonin, which basically signals the body that it is time for sleep. During the winter or when the clouds hang heavy, the absence of light prolongs the release of melatonin, making people feel less energized. In contrast, summer weather causes a "summer high", in which people generally feel more elated and relaxed (215-219).

Thesis: Weather and temperature alters animal behavior. In Alter's words, "Summertime War, Wintertime Love".

The reading is pretty credible-- all of the authors claims are backed up by examples or research. I liked the part of the book where he Alter explained why sunny weather makes us feel good. I've often noticed that waking up to blue skies and yellow sunshine improved my mood for the rest of the day, or at least for the rest of the morning, although I never really know why. Now I know!