Priya: The office is freezing. Could we raise the thermostat to 23, please?
Tom: Twenty-two is the standard. At 23 I can't think.
Priya: I'm wearing two jumpers and a scarf indoors.
Hugo: I'm wearing short sleeves. Please don't change anything.
Priya: Hugo, you are always hot. This is not about you.
Tom: Everybody is always hot or cold. Let's vote.
Marta: Hello all, Facilities here. I have to tell you something. The thermostat in your office has been fixed at 21 degrees since March by the central system. When you change the number, nothing happens. It only changes the number on the screen.
Hugo: So the thermostat is a placebo?
Marta: Yes. It's a comfort button. Studies show that people feel warmer or cooler when they believe they have control.
Priya: So I have been fighting for nothing?
Marta: Not nothing. You've been feeling better. Please keep moving the number. It helps.
Tom: I feel betrayed.
Hugo: I feel sweaty.
Fiction note: All people, places and events in this dialogue are fictional.