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I’ll have an O…Make it a double.

If you’ve been to a mall, convention center, fair, or any of numerous other public places in the past decade or two, you’ve undoubtedly encountered an oxygen bar—a counter where people pay for the odd experience of sitting and inhaling scented oxygen for a while. I heard about oxygen bars for the first time in the late 1990s, and my first visit back then, during a trip to Las Vegas, required a taxi ride to the distant suburban outskirts of town. (Nowadays, of course, they’re in every casino.) If you’ve never had the experience, you may be wondering what it’s all about.

Most oxygen bars have feature a counter with bar stools. In front of each seat at the bar is a small apparatus with several plastic cylinders filled with colored liquids, and a small control panel with a series of buttons or dials. The friendly bartender (if you can use that term) will explain how the system works. You pay for oxygen based on a fixed period of time—a typical fee is US$10 for 10 minutes or $20 for 20 minutes. Each customer gets a nasal cannula (a thin plastic tube that goes over the ears and has nozzles that fit loosely into each nostril). This is attached to the apparatus with the cylinders, each of which contains scented water. Oxygen is fed through the liquid and then into the cannula; you choose which scent or combination of scents you’d like using the dials—choices may include scents like eucalyptus, lavender, and lemon.

Oxygen smells just like ordinary air, and if not for the added aromas, you might never know the difference. Because the nasal cannula doesn’t completely block the nostrils, you end up breathing in about half oxygen and half room air. The first thing you notice when you start a session in an oxygen bar is that you and all your companions look rather silly wearing tubes in your noses. There is a certain etiquette, certain social conventions that apply in a bar; people automatically know how to look at each other and carry on a conversation. But those rules don’t seem to apply at an oxygen bar; it feels unnatural to have a casual conversation with someone when you’re both tethered by the nose to a bubbling machine. What exactly are you supposed to do? Just sit there, close your eyes, and meditate? When I went with a few friends for a 20-minute session, we tried reading the health magazines lying on the counter, but that seemed antisocial. For lack of a better strategy, we ordered fruit juice so we could have something in our hands that would allow us to pretend we were in a familiar social setting and thus be able to interact more naturally.

Getting Sober at the Bar

When our session ended, we left, taking our disposable nasal cannulas with us as souvenirs. As we walked outside, we compared notes. The general consensus was that we all felt pretty good—clear-headed, alert, content—pretty much the opposite of the way we would have expected to feel had we just left an ordinary bar. The effect was subtle, to be sure, but pleasant. In fairness, it could probably be said that a similarly tonic effect could have been achieved simply by having 20 minutes of breathing in fresh outdoor air. How much of the effect was real and how much was imagined, I can’t say. I think, though, that the mere process of breathing deeply and deliberately for 20 minutes played a large part in making us feel better.

It’s relatively inexpensive to purchase or lease the equipment to run an oxygen bar, and particularly for proprietors of existing cafés, juice bars, and similar establishments, adding oxygen equipment is a good way to boost profits. Patrons feel they’re getting something valuable, and many health-conscious customers would rather spend their money on oxygen than alcohol.

To Breathe or Not To Breathe

On the other hand, oxygen bars are coming under attack from a growing number of critics. One criticism is that oxygen can be toxic if inhaled at too high a concentration for an extended period of time, and even more so if one is suffering from certain illnesses such as emphysema. Technically, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration considers oxygen a drug that can be dispensed only by prescription, and while most states do not enforce that rule, it could be argued that oxygen bar operators are unqualified to judge patrons’ medical tolerance for oxygen. Others worry about the solutions used to add scents to the oxygen, wondering if they might in some way damage the lungs. But the biggest criticism is simply the claim that oxygen bar treatments provide no real benefit apart from a placebo effect. Healthy people already have the maximum possible concentration of oxygen in their blood, the argument goes, so adding more cannot possibly have any physiological effect.

My own feeling is that while oxygen bars may provide only minor benefits, the criticisms are a bit silly. If someone wants to pay for a few minutes of air with higher-than-normal concentrations of oxygen, whether or not that has any objectively measurable effect, it seems ridiculous to object. One could say that water should never be administered without a prescription because it can lead to drowning if used incorrectly, or that baseball bats should be licensed as deadly weapons. But people don’t say these things, because they defy common sense. Oxygen bars serve up what amounts to a 40 or 50 percent concentration of oxygen for very short periods of time; even the American Lung Association says, “…there is no evidence that oxygen at the low flow levels used in bars can be dangerous to a normal person’s health.” So while oxygen bars should perhaps not make claims of any specific medical benefits, it is certainly hard to dispute that breathing clean air for 20 minutes is better than breathing polluted air for the same period of time. And if a visit to an oxygen bar means time not spent consuming alcohol and breathing smoke, that’s undoubtedly a healthy choice as well.

Note: This is an updated version of an article that originally appeared on Interesting Thing of the Day on May 29, 2003, and again in a slightly revised form on December 12, 2004.

Image credit: Andrew Hitchcock [CC BY 2.0], via Flickr

The desk at which I’m currently standing to type these words does not have enough empty space for a single sheet of letter-size paper, a fact that perturbs me every time I have documents to review or sign. I’m sorry to say that would be true even if I removed every superfluous object from the desktop—it’s just a small desk and I have a lot of tech that needs to be on it. Even so, I plan to take a few minutes today to relocate all those nonessential items, because visual clutter is distracting and I’d rather not be distracted. It’s National Clean Off Your Desk Day, so do yourself a favor and find a better home for all those things that don’t need to be on your desk. (Hey, you can do the same thing with your computer’s desktop—an excellent idea.) Good luck!

Image credit: Pixabay

Paint’s shocking competitor

During the three years I lived in Vancouver, Canada, I worked at an office in the back of a large building in an industrial park. Our company didn’t own the building, and as the smallest of several tenants, we didn’t merit a sign on the front. The company that occupied the largest portion of the building, and therefore had its sign in large letters facing the street, was Hudson Powder Coating. I had to explain this to visitors when giving directions, and they were always confused. “What is powder coating anyway?” they usually asked. I had no idea. All I knew was that as I drove through the parking lot, I saw a lot of miscellaneous metal objects sitting in front of the company’s loading area—things like bike racks, lamp stands, car parts, and folding chairs. In the morning, these items were unfinished, and in the evening when I drove by again, they were brightly colored. I inferred from this that “powder coating” must be something like painting, though I didn’t quite see where the powder part came in.

For reasons I cannot fathom, I never actually bothered to find out what powder coating was at any time during the time I worked in the building with the powder coating company. When I finally managed to look it up, it turned out to be much more interesting than I had imagined.

I love tools, building materials, and especially hardware stores—those magical places filled with sacred Things Used To Create Other Things. In particular, I always find myself lingering in the adhesive section, eagerly reading the label of every new epoxy or sealant. I feel the same way about tape. The whole notion of one thing sticking to another has always fascinated me, and that is equally true when it comes to magnets or static electricity. For someone who likes hardware and things that stick, there could hardly be a more exciting topic than powder coating.

The Drip-Free Paint

If you look around at the metal objects in your home or office—filing cabinets, toasters, computer stands, chairs, garbage cans, and whatnot—you’ll probably notice that most of them are painted. Metal things are painted not only to make them prettier, but for the utilitarian reason of protecting them from rust, corrosion, and general dinginess. What may surprise you, however, is that many of those seemingly painted objects have never seen a drop of paint in their lives. More likely than not, the paint-like surface was applied by the wondrous process known as powder coating.

Powder coating starts with, as you might guess, a powder. This powder is somewhat like a finely ground, dried paint—a mixture of resin and pigment. You can also think of it as a powdered plastic. The general idea is to cover an object with this powder, and then heat it briefly in an oven so that the powder melts and flows together, forming a smooth, solid layer. The tricky part, though, is getting the powder to stick, preferably in an extremely even coat. This is done using electrostatic charges—the same phenomenon that makes your hair stick to your comb or dust stick to your computer screen. The powder is applied to the object using a special spray gun that gives the particles a negative electrical charge. Meanwhile, the object being coated is grounded (or, in some cases, given a positive charge). The difference in charge between the particles and the object causes a strong attraction, and presto! The powder sticks to the surface. The object and powder can maintain their attraction for hours, which is much more time than is needed to apply the heat that bakes on the finish.

A Strong Finish

Powder-coated finishes are durable and highly resistant to peeling, chipping, and fading. They can be made in almost any color—or even in wood grain—and with varying degrees of shininess ranging from a high gloss to a dull, flat finish. The process is quick, efficient, and environmentally friendly, producing no pollution or dangerous waste products. There’s also no waiting for paint to dry: as soon as a coated piece comes out of the oven and cools to the touch, it’s ready to be used.

For the most part, powder coating is used for metal objects—appliances, garden tools, engine parts, and so on. But any object that can be given an electrostatic charge is a potential candidate for powder coating. This includes glass, wood, and many kinds of plastic (think of your charged comb). The only problem comes in the curing process—plastic melts at fairly low temperatures, and wood can burn. So special types of resin powder have been created that melt at much lower temperatures; still others can be cured using infrared radiation, with curing times as short as a fraction of a minute.

A Powder Room in Your Home

While the equipment needed for powder coating is considerably more elaborate than a spray can, several companies are now offering kits that make it possible to do this at home. You can buy the special electrostatic spray gun apparatus for less than US$100. In addition, you’ll need, at minimum, an air compressor and a spare electric oven—spare because you really don’t want fumes from melting plastic mixing with your food, and electric because the vapors can ignite in a gas oven. Depending on what kinds of parts you’re coating, you may also need equipment to prepare the surface, such as sandblasting apparatus. Still, a home powder coating workshop is well within the means of many hobbyists, and provides a very professional, high-quality finish that paint often can’t match.

Powder coating is quite similar in concept to the way a photocopier or laser printer works, only in three dimensions. Charge up particles of stuff, make them stick to something else, and apply heat to make the bond permanent. It’s a brilliantly simple idea, yet extremely effective and versatile. And to think, all that magic was going on right around the corner from my office for three years. Sometimes the most interesting things are the ones right under your nose.

Note: This is an updated version of an article that originally appeared on Interesting Thing of the Day on September 10, 2003, and again in a slightly revised form on September 7, 2004.

Image credit: Alexandros T [CC BY-SA 4.0], from Wikimedia Commons

Well, you learn something new every day. I grew up watching Sesame Street, so I was of course familiar with Ernie’s bath time pal, Rubber Ducky (and the song Ernie sang about it, which will now be stuck in my head for the rest of the day). What I did not know was that Rubber Ducky has a birthday. Apparently, according to a Sesame Street calendar from 1973, that day is January 13. So, happy birthday, Rubber Ducky!

Image credit: David [CC BY 2.0], via Flickr

King Ludwig II’s island retreat

King Ludwig II of Bavaria is one of the most colorful characters in German history. Widely regarded as insane, he was certainly a troubled individual and not well suited to the demands of a monarch’s life. Although as a ruler he was neither effective nor well-liked, he is remembered fondly today primarily because of his contributions to the future economy of Germany: his castles, which attract huge numbers of tourists each year. Of the three castles Ludwig had built, Neuschwanstein was the most famous, with its fairy-tale pseudo-medieval design. But even more ambitious was Herrenchiemsee Castle.

Sup-Versailles It

At the foot of the Bavarian Alps lies the Chiemsee, a large lake with a number of islands. To reach the largest island, Herreninsel, you take a ferry from the shore. Hidden from view by trees until you reach the island is what appears to be an exact replica of Versailles. And in fact, that was just what Ludwig was after. He didn’t like the thought of being outdone, and fancied himself as one of the great kings of Europe. So he studied Versailles carefully in order to make his version as close as possible to the original. Herrenchiemsee lacks the two side wings of Versailles, has a somewhat different interior layout, and is located in a much more secluded setting. But the overall design of the architecture—and even the choice of artwork, fabrics, and décor inside—reflects the sensibilities of French royalty.

It is not always apparent from photographs, but Herrenchiemsee was the largest and most lavish castle Ludwig had built. Construction began in 1878, financed by the king’s personal fortune. Like Neuschwanstein, this castle was never completed. Its structure was built in just a few years, but only a fraction of the interior rooms were ever finished. Visitors are uniformly impressed by the ornateness of the furnishings and attention to detail—gold and marble are everywhere you look. Unless, that is, you look very closely. A great many surfaces that appear to be marble are merely painted, and much of the gold is nothing more than a thin leaf over wood. Ludwig was not known for economy, and it is thought that the faux finishes were more a reflection of the design aesthetic of the time, just as wood-veneer plastic was considered very modern a few decades ago.

Leave Me Alone, I’m Eating

Ludwig was notoriously shy and reclusive. When possible, he avoided interacting with members of his own government, and though he was an avid fan of music and theater, he always demanded private performances. Such was Ludwig’s passion for privacy that he not only dined alone, but wanted to avoid even seeing kitchen staff before and after meals. (In all likelihood the staff didn’t want to see him either: he reportedly had terrible table manners.) This led to the most talked-about room at Herrenchiemsee: the dining room. Ludwig had an elaborate mechanism designed to lower the dining room table through the floor to the kitchen below so that it could be set and raised into the dining room without any need for the king to encounter human beings. One of the king’s other castles, Linderhof, has a similar arrangement, though at Herrenchiemsee the kitchen is open to tours so you can see the mechanism beneath the table.

According to our tour guide, Herrenchiemsee included one more bathroom than Versailles (for a grand total of one). And it is quite an extraordinary bathroom. The circular tub, if you can call it that, is the size of a small pool. Ludwig was known to be an excellent swimmer, but also, in his later years, rather rotund. So the tub (or pool) may have been designed more for the king’s bathing comfort than for exercise.

Herrenchiemsee shares another historical trait with Neuschwanstein: despite the huge sums of money spent on it and the years it remained under construction, Ludwig never got to enjoy it. He stayed there for a total of just 16 days in 1885. Shortly thereafter, construction was stopped due to a lack of funds. With three major castles simultaneously under construction and no sense of fiscal responsibility, Ludwig had exhausted his considerable resources and gone deeply into debt.

The Decline and Fall of Ludwig II

Even though the castles were not funded with state money, Ludwig’s cabinet was deeply concerned about his expensive obsession. They were concerned for other reasons too. He rarely communicated with his staff or attended to matters of state; he had frequent affairs with young army officers; he appeared to suffer from hallucinations and delusions. But more important than all these issues was the rumor that Ludwig was planning to replace his entire cabinet. In order to remain in power, the cabinet members hatched a secret plan to remove Ludwig from power. They had a detailed report of Ludwig’s troubling behavior compiled and signed by a psychiatrist named Dr. Berhardt von Gudden, even though the doctor had never even met Ludwig at the time. According to Bavarian law, the king could be removed from power only if shown to be incapable of performing his duties, and this report served that purpose. In June of 1886, Ludwig was deposed and arrested.

Just one day later, while still under custody at Berg Castle, Ludwig went for a walk on the castle grounds, escorted by Dr. Gudden. When the two did not return after several hours, a search began, and the bodies of both men were soon found floating in a nearby lake. Official reports called Ludwig’s death a suicide; Gudden, whose forehead was badly injured, was assumed to have been killed by the king before he drowned himself. However, there is considerable evidence to suggest that both men were murdered by the conspirators who removed the king from power—to be sure he never regained it. Yet another theory suggests Ludwig may have killed Gudden and then died while trying to escape by swimming across the lake. Ludwig’s death, like his life, will always be a mystery.

Note: This is an updated version of an article that originally appeared on Interesting Thing of the Day on May 19, 2003, and again in a slightly revised form on August 18, 2004.

Image credit: Guido Radig [CC BY 3.0], from Wikimedia Commons

Fun fact: the number of different curries is exactly equal to the number of angels that can dance on the head of a pin. I looked it up. Whatever combination of spices strikes your fancy, the internet gods have apparently declared that chicken is what you should cook in them today, and who doesn’t want to curry favor with the internet gods? I’m suddenly in the mood for a red Thai curry, now that I think about it.

Image credit: Guilhem Vellut [CC BY 2.0], via Flickr