Does the elevator's 'door close' button actually do anything?

(NEXSTAR) – Perhaps no button on Earth is mashed as furiously as the “door close” button in an elevator.The button, usually denoted by a set of arrows pointing inward, is a favorite of impatient people everywhere. It’s also well-liked among those of us late for our doctors’ appointments, as well as office employees looking to avoid chit-chat with an insufferable co-worker who just started lumbering toward the elevator from down the hall.People who mash this button,