Cold Water Swimming

Last week's blog was about dopamine and the other feel-good brain hormones.

This week's attempt to increase production of said hormones has involved cold water swimming, which I can confirm is really, really cold.

Exposure to cold water can double dopamine production, in the same way as alcohol and other drugs. But without the crash which comes soon after the consumption of drugs.

Meaning the dopamine high can last for hours after diving in rather than about 15 minutes as is the case for alcohol, with diminishing returns for every drink thereafter.

Living right next to a loch, I have easy access to cold water (and lots of it), so I walked down to a rocky beach and jumped in. Or rather, waded in and forced myself to submerge, then quickly sprint-waded out because it was absolutely freezing.

It's hard to self-assess changes in doapmine level, but it definitely feels good. We had another go in a river yesteday, and I've been taking cold showers too (but only because our hot water has been broken).

I wonder if higher dopamine levels would help with quizzing. A quick dip to clear the brain and then off to the pub quiz (you'd have to forego the booze, though, or you'd lose the benefits).

Anyway, onto tonight's episode.

Oriel and Durham faced off in the Grand Final of 2000, with Durham running out victors to the tune of 325 to 125 (quite the demolition).

Durham also won Paxman's final series, in 2023, while Oriel's sole triumph came in 1966. Durham first won in 1977, meaning that their next title will be 2046, if the trend is to continue.

Here's your first starter for ten.

Nash loses five points for Durham with an incorrect buzz of Lisbon - Taseen picks up the pieces for Oriel with Toledo and they take two bonuses on colour. Wittgenstein is the answer to the one they miss (I'm aware that this is not a colour), and they are quite ridiculously denied the points due to a minor mispronunciation of the name.

In what proved to be a very tight game, I was worried this might come back to be important.

Brookfield-Pertusini brought Durham back into positive figures with Annie Ernaux. Ancell, who I think looks like the comedian Simon Amstell, took another starter for them next time out, answering very confidently.

This gave them the lead, which Nash extended, recognising the flag of Middlesex on the picture starter.

Sharkey hits back for Oriel with Cavendish, and they retook the lead thanks to Armstrong's buzz of Spike Lee.

They took a hat-trick on the British Indian Ocean Territory, which has been in the news recently as the UK has returned sovereignty of the island cluster to Mauritius.

Back and Forth

Roberts tied the game with bones, and the lead changed hands once again thanks to Brookfield-Pertusini's knowledge of the Iliad. It is now Durham's turn to lose points thanks to mispronunciation, but in this case it is more understandable, as they gave St Bride instead of St Brice.

Ancell takes the music starter, and Brookfield-Pertusini recognises one of the bonses as being from the opening to The Royal Tenenbaums, which helps her teammates to find the correct answer, Ravel, though she didn't know it herself. Excellent conferring.

Durham are now 60 points clear, but Armstrong reduces this with Oriel's first points in about 5 minutes. Refractive Index gives Armstrong a second consecutive starter, and he takes a third with Thomas Jefferson.

Rajan allows them the points despite the fact one or more of his teammates had actually given the answer at the same time.

I think this was fair enough, as Armstrong, who had buzzed, did give the answer too, but it was definitely on the line.

Even More Back and Forth

Taseen, who had joined in on Thomas Jefferson, takes the next starter, snatching the lead back for Oriel, who are on a 75-0 run.

This is ended by Ancell with Hokusai, and Durham are now winning.

Not for long - Armstrong steals it for Oriel.

Not for long - Roberts ties the game for Durham.

Not for long (in this case it couldn't be anything other than 'not for long', as whatever happened next the tie would be broken, but I'm ramping up the tension with the whole 'not for long' thing. Tension which has now been dissipated by this explanation, drat!) - Sharkey nudges Oriel in front.

They take two bonuses, giving them 20 points of breathing space, which Roberts looks to exploit with a brave, early buzz of alto on the next starter.

Unfortunately for Durham the answer is tenor, and Armstrong sweeps this up, winning the match for Oriel.

Oriel 200 - 165 Durham

The final gap of 35 points belies how tight this match was, as Oriel exacted some manner of revenge for the 2000 final. Durham will probably return as high-scoring losers though, which is no more than they deserve.

I'm glad that the Wittgenstein mispronunciation didn't come back to bite anyone because that would have been brutal.

Next week we have another Oxbridge derby as Exeter, Oxford, take on Christ's, Cambridge - see you then.