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Asked by rider491 to Claire, Kate, Matt, Rob, Sam on 14 Jun 2013. This question was also asked by zombiewolf.
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Sam Geen answered on 14 Jun 2013:
Yeah, so I actually took out the references to coffee in my profile because I noticed everyone else mentioned it as well. The short answer is that coffee is a drug, and drugs are addictive. In the short term, it helps you stay awake if you’re tired, which is why a lot of people drink it. You also begin to like the taste once you start drinking it, and I’m sure there are lots of other effects (it also makes you pee if you drink too much). But in the long term, this wake-up effect goes away and you start to depend on it. I started drinking coffee during my exams at university, and it probably did more harm than good because I couldn’t focus any more and had trouble sleeping. So probably best to do as I say and not as I do on this one and not drink coffee. But it’s up to you, of course.
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Claire Lee answered on 14 Jun 2013:
Because it’s yummy! 🙂 (And being French-Europe, it’s really good coffee)
(also note that when I say I drink coffee, I mean espresso – not that instant stuff)
But what Sam says is true – it *is* a kind of drug. You do get used to it. Coffee is very much part of the culture here in France. The very first time I came to CERN (5 years ago – sheesh!) I ended up in meetings discussing our participation for the whole day. Every meeting followed the same procedure: introduce ourselves, then the person would say “let’s get a coffee and have a chat” and of course not wanting to be rude you say “thanks!” and then they buy you an espresso. I ended up drinking 6 espressos that day and I didn’t sleep that night!
Now, however, I can happily drink 6 espressos a day and not even notice. (Of course, I now have a 3 year old, so that may play a part too 🙂 )
Also – it’s really easy in this line of work to get so stuck into your work that you don’t leave your office/computer for the whole day. (In fact, my husband is a sysadmin for ATLAS and his boss insists that they leave the office at least twice a day – for lunch, and afternoon coffee.) Your brain really does need a break every now and again, and SO many times I have been stuck on a problem, and just a brisk walk and some fresh air (with the eventual aim of “getting a coffee”) and the solution pops into my head.
So for me, personally, I drink coffee because a) I like it, b) it’s a nice way to chat with other people about work stuff, and c) it provides a very welcome brain-break every now and again
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Matthew Pankhurst answered on 15 Jun 2013:
The simple answer for me is that it tastes good (when made properly!). I actually don’t drink it all that often (a few times a week), its one of those things that is down to individuals tastes I suppose 🙂
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Kate Husband answered on 16 Jun 2013:
I don’t like coffee! Just like builders have a tea break we have a coffee break. It’s our stereotype. But just because I don’t drink the coffee doesn’t mean I don’t go down for a break!
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Robert Woolfson answered on 18 Jun 2013:
I drink it for many of the reasons above but also because I’m very grouchy in the morning and a coffee stops me from really annoying the guys I work with.
Comments
Sam commented on :
Ah yes, this is true – an excuse for having a break is really important if you can’t solve a problem. So many times I’ve figured out a solution walking home from work or first thing the next morning after bashing my head against it all day. And yes, French coffee is good.
Dr D commented on :
It’s a fantastic tasting stimulant. Couldn’t stand it when I was younger but your tastes change as you age