Dispensary Corner 28 Oct 13
October 28, 2013
Seasonal Affective Disorder will
hopefully be less of a problem in
the Norwegian town of Rjukan
this winter, after authorities
erected a system of giant mirrors
to direct sunlight onto the local
streets.
The ‘Solspeil’ (or Sun Mirror)
project involves three huge
reflectors which are controlled
by computers, mounted on the
mountains around the town
which is nestled in a valley about
150km west of the capital Oslo.
The project, which goes live later
this week, is the culmination of a
century-old vision from Rjukan’s
founder, who proposed the idea
in the early 1900s but wasn’t able
to implement it due to technology
limitations of the time.
Currently the nearby Gaustoppen
mountains completely block the
sun for five months of the year.
The mirrors will direct giant
beams across the town which will
act as an “artificial sun” to help
citizens boost their Vitamin D.
And while we’re on the subject of Norway, a discount store in Oslo has apologised over a retailing blunder which saw it selling realistic severed hands and feet, as part of its Halloween product range. The Europris bargain outlet packaged the fake plastic body parts in polystyrene trays, similar to those used by butchers to sell meat (below). The move prompted a flurry of complaints from outraged parents including a storm of protest on social media. “It’s such a shame that we have an American tradition so violently forced down our throats,” wrote one furious commentator.
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