The earliest account of scientific discovery that has come down to us is the story of Archimedes, who solved a problem in applied science (a non-destructive assay of a gold crown) while in his bath. Whether or not the legend is true, bathers will know that the solitude and relaxation of lying in a hot bath—or a cold one during a sticky Sicilian summer—is conducive to reflection, and reflection to insight. It is certain that many a scientist has experienced a flash of insight in his or her bath.
One does not lie or sit, one does not relax, in a shower. Showers also provide constant physical stimulus, giving distraction from mental activity. In showers, one thinks less, reflects less, and then one returns to the hurly-burly of life sooner.
We might even hypothesize that the lack of intellectual progress during the Dark and Middle Ages was linked to the ...
