This Is Your Brain On Stale Air

Inside his homemade, hermetically-sealed, airtight biodome, Kurtis Baute is already out of breath and surrounded by more carbon dioxide than he should be. And that's going to affect a lot of things -- including how smart he is.

SOURCES:

[daviddegenhardt]

At my school here in Switzerland the windows open automatically when the CO2 levels rise above 600 ppm

[eliegbert]

"Including nausea, loss of attention... uhhh...."

[jacobbriers]

"Bedroom's can reach up to 4000ppm"

*Immediately opens window*

[wohlhabendermanager]

2:58 So, inside cars, you sometimes have a decrease in cognitive function of over 50%? You know, that actually explains A LOT.

[unnamed]

I measured my schools CO2 levels a while back. Specifically because I found myslef a lot more sleepy, unatttentive and short of breath in some specific classrooms (mainly our math wing upstairs) it was around 5000 PPM in the worst places and about 1000 in the best

[grongolawless]

I live in a small town in a very vegetated place, so my lack of cognitive function is all me baby

[drspa]

But if I open a window and a fly comes in, i will suffer a 100% productivity decrease as i try to capture it...

[camille]

I’m a flight attendant and I can confirm lack of fresh air in the workplace gives me what I call “plane brain”

[taxfraudmaster]

"I'll make this short"
oh, okay
"I want to go back 60 years ago"

[keetonfoust]

Teacher:”Why won’t you step away from the window?”
Me:”If I were to step away from this position I would experience an immediate 40% drop in my deductive reasoning skills.”

[AydanM]

Starts video: *instant anxiety*

Opens window: *instant relief*

[KayosHybrid]

I didn't expect to feel this breathless. As someone who has lived in relative isolation in a 1 room homeless hostel for 8 years with anti suicide windows that only open 4 inches, and the absolutely devastating cognitive decline I've observed over that near decade, this seems like a legitimate piece of it.

[miguelle]

Now it blows my mind when people say “Going to get fresh air”

[georgechang]

Here in shanghai... its better to NOT open windows...

[BallisticBall]

Dude 1: "Sorry I missed that shot bro I just-"
Dude 2: "What's the excuse this time?"
Dude 1: "Too much CO2 in my room, can't concentrate"

[brodoxl]

In my school, we have a CO2 meter in every classroom. The idea behind it is to open up a window if it is too much. Most teachers don't even bother looking at it, most of the time it is at 4400 in alarming red. This is where i have to learn...

[sixstringedthing]

Gas detection system technician here. To put this video in perspective, the systems we supply to monitor for CO2 leakage in pressurised beverage dispensing systems work over a range of 0-5% Volume, equivalent to 50, 000ppm. We set alarm thresholds at 1.5% (15, 000ppm) to set off a visual warning strobe, at this concentration you will pass out within a couple of minutes. A "high level" threshold at 3% (30, 000ppm) sets off a warning siren, since this kind of concentration can kill you very quickly in a confined space. CO2 is heavier than air, so any sensor must be installed near ground level at the lowest point in the cellar to warn of gradual CO2 buildup.

[timothymclean]

Geez, I had no idea CO2 levels were so much higher inside buildings and whatnot.

[oriontigley]

Label on plastic bags: "keep away from children"
Kurtis: *"I'm not a child"*

[resultofboredomowo]

My god! This makes so much sense! I'm a audio production engineer in an old office building, my recording booths have no ventilation in them! I am always seeing people stumble their words progressively more the longer they stay in there,
I've been trying to get ventilation installed for ages, NOW I HAVE A STUDY TO BASE A CASE ON THANKS GANG