This is a…

This is a picture of Patrick Holford, from the Brain Bio Centre, illustrating his cure for seasonal affective disorder (being miserable in winter). Apparently, the best way to cheer yourself up is to eat lots of fish, which contain the amino acid tryptophan (you can’t make it yourself, but you need it to make serotonin, which does cheer you up). Oh, and stare at a 60-watt pearl light bulb for a minute, in a darkened room, then watch the after-image until it disappears. Holford doesn’t detail what happens if you haven’t got a 60-watt pearl light bulb, but the Diary reckons flashing Christmas lights would be good for a really trippy winter. Whatever you do, though, don’t use a Jack O’Lantern, unless you’re a fan of Poltergeist. And if that doesn’t work, try this: what sort of fish do light bulbs eat? Lampreys. There you go, that brought a smile to your face, didn’t it?