Reaction Statements (Extract from ARiSE 1)

How to have a multisensory experience

The experiment that is explained in Velasco, Jones, King, and Spence[1]looks at how environment influences people's perception of what they drink. The experimenters had people sit in different kinds of rooms with different decoration (for example, grassy or wooden). They observed that people's perception of the taste of the whiskey they drank changed depending on the atmosphere. The authors conclude that people experience drinking alcohol in a multisensory way and that future design should take this into account.

I find the results of this experiment not very surprising. I am a heavy coffee drinker: I have to have two cups each day, once in the morning and once in the afternoon. I find that the environment in which I drink the coffee changes my enjoyment of it significantly. If I can sit outdoors on the balcony, my coffee tastes much better to me than when I drink it while sitting in front of my computer. Perhaps I should try to decorate around my computer so that it looks more like a balcony (or outdoors scene). Then I can have a multisensory experience that matches when I am on the balcony.

The design of a new masonry block: Is it superior?

Sousa et al.[1]describe the motivation for and the design of a new masonry block for use in south European countries. Because of the mild winters and relatively dry climate in south Europe, there is not so much need for masonry blocks with a large dead space. The authors used an optimizing procedure to generate dimensions and design for a masonry block that is better suited to the south European climate. The optimized block is easier for workers to handle and tests show that it meets the thermal and load-bearing requirements of European standards.

This development seems like a great advantage for the construction of smaller homes and buildings in south Europe. The evidence that they meet the construction standards of Europe is shown clearly, but it is unclear how they determined that the blocks are easier to handle than others. It seems as if they have merely said so, rather than test it. It would be useful to see some clear evidence of the ease of handling, though there may be no standard measure of this. In short, the article is persuasive, but more evidence is needed to support the conclusions fully.