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tealinHow Flying Seriously Messes With Your Mind
Most of these effects are familiar to me, not least the drowsiness, though some of that may be adrenaline backwash and release of tension, having finally boarded the flight and not having to worry about missing it anymore.
This also supplies the explanation for Cabin Pressure's statement that everyone's tastebuds are shot at 35,000 feet.
Mainly, though, I link the story because I have a long-held but as yet unsubstantiated theory that some of the stereotypical traits of people living in the Los Angeles area are, in fact, symptoms of chronic mild hypoxia. The LA basin and the valleys surrounding it are usually occupied by a famously stable air mass, which is why it was chosen for observatories on one hand, and why it has such a problem with smog on the other. A high population density all running internal combustion engines 24/7 will eat up the oxygen, and with no atmospheric disturbance to bring in fresh air, you end up with that airless miasma of a meeting that's gone on too long in a small room with closed doors.
Crankiness, mild confusion, lingering fatigue, depleted critical thinking skills and response times, heightened emotional sensitivity – these are all endemic in Angelenos. Is it a coincidence that they're also signs of mild hypoxia?
Most of these effects are familiar to me, not least the drowsiness, though some of that may be adrenaline backwash and release of tension, having finally boarded the flight and not having to worry about missing it anymore.
This also supplies the explanation for Cabin Pressure's statement that everyone's tastebuds are shot at 35,000 feet.
Mainly, though, I link the story because I have a long-held but as yet unsubstantiated theory that some of the stereotypical traits of people living in the Los Angeles area are, in fact, symptoms of chronic mild hypoxia. The LA basin and the valleys surrounding it are usually occupied by a famously stable air mass, which is why it was chosen for observatories on one hand, and why it has such a problem with smog on the other. A high population density all running internal combustion engines 24/7 will eat up the oxygen, and with no atmospheric disturbance to bring in fresh air, you end up with that airless miasma of a meeting that's gone on too long in a small room with closed doors.
Crankiness, mild confusion, lingering fatigue, depleted critical thinking skills and response times, heightened emotional sensitivity – these are all endemic in Angelenos. Is it a coincidence that they're also signs of mild hypoxia?
