A shower represents the most contemplative aspect of many people’s daily lives. Someone may hop in the shower with the intention of getting clean and the next thing they know they’ve invented a new type of can opener, come up with a new theory about how Stonehenge was constructed, and finally understand the plot to Lost.
The shower being a good spot for thinking is not just an old wives’ tale; there is actually some science behind it. It has to do with the relaxing nature of showers increasing dopamine production in our brains and providing a distraction or incubation period for our ideas to gestate and become something more concrete.
The problem is all of this relaxing, contemplating, and incubating can take a while, and a long time in the shower means a lot of water, quite literally, goes down the drain. But a new shower design that collects, cleans, and recycles water before it goes down the drain is looking to give everyone the chance to ponder the mysteries of the universe for as long as they want without using enough water for a small village.
As CityLab reports, a team of Finnish designers has created what is known as the Showerloop, a DIY system that consists of a self-contained loop of purifiers and a showerhead so you can keep your shower going beyond the five minute recommended time without using any additional water. The Showerloop kit is available for purchase for $1,600.
