A bustle of activity. Sweat. Testosterone. A small amount of oestrogen. Comically small hockey sticks. Ego. A distinct lack of pizzas. Such is “GeekNight”:http://geeknight.thoughtworks.com/index.php/GeekNightLondon in London. Who knows if anything’s actually going to get done?

So, in a room of bright people, do you yourself feel inspired? Intimidated? Is it wrong to feel just plain bored? There is a strange background buzz generated when one is genuinely uninterested in what’s going on. It filters out anything else which might distract you from the task at hand – even if said task is being bored. Let’s imagine you actually had something you wanted to do other than stare into space. Where better to be than in the midst of busy discussion which leaves you cold – and environment in which you can be confident that you yourself will be left to your own devices, where you can go unnoticed.