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The problem is that an eternal winter would eventually have your employees killing themselves one by one. I imagine that on the long slide down depression and i

The problem is that an eternal winter would eventually have your employees killing themselves one by one. I imagine that on the long slide down depression and into despair, productivity is bound to suffer. You also have to look at alcoholism rates in countries all over the world with extreme winters, and it's not a happy statistic.

Nullabillity 10y ago
The Greenland stats seem to imply that the actual killer is the corresponding awfully bright summers. As someone who lived slightly south of the arctic circle for almost half my life, I'd be inclined to agree with that theory.
- Aelinsaar 10y ago
  Really?! Is there some article or study that talked about this, because I'd love to read it. To be clear, I'm not doubting you at all, I just want to learn more about this.
  - Nullabillity 10y ago
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suicide_in_Greenland https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suicide_in_Greenland : > According to a report published in the Science Daily in 2009, the suicide rate in Greenland increases during the summer. Researchers have blamed insomnia caused by incessant daylight.[10]
  - gwern 10y ago
    One hypothesis some suicide researchers have floated is that suicide has multiple aspects; the dark winters damage people emotionally while reducing energy, and then when the light comes flooding back, their energy levels recover before their emotions. Result: suicide. Apparently there's some analogies in depression treatment where you're briefly more likely to commit suicide after a treatment starts working. Here's one paper on the topic: Vyssoki et al 2014 http://www.gwern.net/docs/2014-vyssoki.pdf http://www.gwern.net/docs/2014-vyssoki.pdf "Direct Effect of Sunshine on Suicide". There might be something similar at play in Greenland.
    - Aelinsaar 10y ago
      That's interesting, and almost seem related to what you see in the first weeks of anti-depressant therapy (especially in teens). The depression and distorted thinking haven't changed, but they get a huge blast of energy. It's one of the possible explanations for why the first few weeks on an anti-depressant are particularly risky in terms of suicide. It does take that odd combination of pain and energy to drive people to end their lives, not just despair and enervation.
informatimago 10y ago
No, it's an advantage: they're not distracted by the good weather and they're not tempted to go outside. So people stay in front of their computer working :-)
- Aelinsaar 10y ago
  ...Until they die? Then again, if you really invested in full-spectrum lighting indoors, and build a large campus... Stop making me think evil things! lol

Nullabillity 10y ago

The Greenland stats seem to imply that the actual killer is the corresponding awfully bright summers. As someone who lived slightly south of the arctic circle for almost half my life, I'd be inclined to agree with that theory.

Aelinsaar 10y ago
Really?! Is there some article or study that talked about this, because I'd love to read it. To be clear, I'm not doubting you at all, I just want to learn more about this.
- Nullabillity 10y ago
  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suicide_in_Greenland https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suicide_in_Greenland : > According to a report published in the Science Daily in 2009, the suicide rate in Greenland increases during the summer. Researchers have blamed insomnia caused by incessant daylight.[10]
- gwern 10y ago
  One hypothesis some suicide researchers have floated is that suicide has multiple aspects; the dark winters damage people emotionally while reducing energy, and then when the light comes flooding back, their energy levels recover before their emotions. Result: suicide. Apparently there's some analogies in depression treatment where you're briefly more likely to commit suicide after a treatment starts working. Here's one paper on the topic: Vyssoki et al 2014 http://www.gwern.net/docs/2014-vyssoki.pdf http://www.gwern.net/docs/2014-vyssoki.pdf "Direct Effect of Sunshine on Suicide". There might be something similar at play in Greenland.
  - Aelinsaar 10y ago
    That's interesting, and almost seem related to what you see in the first weeks of anti-depressant therapy (especially in teens). The depression and distorted thinking haven't changed, but they get a huge blast of energy. It's one of the possible explanations for why the first few weeks on an anti-depressant are particularly risky in terms of suicide. It does take that odd combination of pain and energy to drive people to end their lives, not just despair and enervation.

informatimago 10y ago

No, it's an advantage: they're not distracted by the good weather and they're not tempted to go outside. So people stay in front of their computer working :-)

Aelinsaar 10y ago
...Until they die? Then again, if you really invested in full-spectrum lighting indoors, and build a large campus... Stop making me think evil things! lol