"Until the rise of the coffeehouse, the entire population was effectively drunk all day"

The reason: Until coffee and tea became popular, "alcohol was the daytime drink of choice," he told the TED Global conference in Oxford on Tuesday. Water wasn't safe to drink, so wine, beer or gin was a better choice for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

"Until the rise of the coffeehouse, the entire population was effectively drunk all day," Johnson said in a talk aimed at explaining how ideas get started. "If you switched from a depressant to a stimulant in your life, you would have better ideas."

Moreover, the setting of a coffeehouse, which encourages the mixing of people from different backgrounds, is perfect for sharing and crafting innovative thoughts.

http://edition.cnn.com/2010/OPINION/07/14/ted.ideas.having.sex/index.htm...