Caffeine: Academe’s Drug of Choice
Prompted by a long-ago (in Internet time) discussion on the blogosphere (see here and here), The Chronicle of Higher Education has done an informal survey of caffeine consumption among academics and found that they do, indeed, consume inordinate amounts of coffee and cola products.
Via memeorandum, where I see Jacob Levy, Jeremy Blachman, Brad DeLong (one of the survey participants), and Amanda Butler have already commented.
Levy raises the question of caffeine-to-body weight ratios, something that certainly calls for further study.
There have been empirical studies that are conclusive in showing a causal link between the amount of Mountain Dew one consumes and a heightened ability to stay awake while idiot freshmen drone on without making any relevant point.
The N was just me, but still …
While at school someone did a good spoof research paper “proving” that the Renaissance in Europe did’t get going until caffine hit wide consumption levels.