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Lessons From One Monkey to Another
We all need somewhere to go
Enclosures should provide warm basking areas, preferably in natural sunshine, so that all animals have access. Natural light is particularly important for diurnal primates, and indoor and outdoor accommodation should be provided. — Suitable Environment for Primates
That window is keeping you alive
Even prisons have them. The United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners, also known as the Nelson Mandela Rules, specify in rule 14a that “windows shall be large enough to allow prisoners to read or work by natural light.” Study after study has shown the importance of natural light in everything from staving off the ravages of depression to improved sleep to fighting cancer.
Sunlight is magical. The ultimate source of life on this or any other planet, and the only ultimate source of energy to keep the carousel of our existence turning.
There are few things more spirit-crushing than a windowless room. That’s why Amazon workers in downtown Seattle labor inside an indoor jungle made of glass. It’s a running joke in IT circles that workers are often confined to windowless data centers and server rooms, expected to perform like machines without any contact with the outside world.
