4 ms·

If you're interested in low tech, passive and energy efficient technologies, I recommend the LOW TECH MAGAZINE For example, Revenge of the Circulating Fan: ht

by b0rsuk 5y ago

If you're interested in low tech, passive and energy efficient technologies, I recommend the LOW TECH MAGAZINE For example, Revenge of the Circulating Fan: https://www.lowtechmagazine.com/2014/09/circulating-fans-air-conditioning.html https://www.lowtechmagazine.com/2014/09/circulating-fans-air... Frequently discussing topics like thermal comfort, energy needed to heat up a person, sustainability, solar-powered websites, mist showers, wind power, compressed air power, medieval methods of heating and what we can learn from them...

faeyanpiraat 5y ago
Interesting. On really hot days I’ve discovered that the most annoying thing is that the stuff I’m in contact with gets too hot. Sleeping ON a wet towel made all the difference.
- cgsmith 5y ago
  How do you keep your bed from getting wet or do you accept the consequence? I'm going to pursue cold showers at night on really hot days and try to keep the AC off or only kick on if the house temp is 85F.
  - BoiledCabbage 5y ago
    You could buy a mattress cover maybe?
  - faeyanpiraat 5y ago
    I just accept the fact, I squeeze all the excess water out of the towel though, so it's not a big issue. Cold showers didn't work for me, as you'll dry in like 15 minutes, and you are back to square one.
    - ddingus 5y ago
      The damp towel and a light breeze can be amazing! Dries out in most environments too. Just flip the bed covers over and or set them aside and it all is set for the next evening, in my experience.
    - b0rsuk 5y ago
      I think the parent might be suggesting that sleeping on a wet bed might trigger peeing reflex.
      - faeyanpiraat 5y ago
        Eww. Never had an issue like that.
  - deleted 5y ago
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  - deleted 5y ago
    [deleted]
clydethefrog 5y ago
What a lovely website. Fun article about how old Thinkpads are indeed low tech nowadays as well. Just found out one my favourite articles I discovered about Chinese wheelbarrows was also from this site! https://www.lowtechmagazine.com/2011/12/the-chinese-wheelbarrow.html https://www.lowtechmagazine.com/2011/12/the-chinese-wheelbar...
- blacksmith_tb 5y ago
  That is a good one! Also worth noting, they host the site on an RPi running off solar power[1]. 1: https://www.lowtechmagazine.com/2020/01/how-sustainable-is-a-solar-powered-website.html https://www.lowtechmagazine.com/2020/01/how-sustainable-is-a...
a012 5y ago
I prefer solar version of this website: https://solar.lowtechmagazine.com/about.html https://solar.lowtechmagazine.com/about.html
mr_overalls 5y ago
The final comments on "AC architecture" are quite interesting. In my childhood home, the American South, pre-1950's housing is highly optimized for cooling. High ceilings, transoms, pier foundations, tin roofs, etc. When Hurricane Katrina hit and left us without power for two weeks in the summer, sleeping in our normally comfortable home was nearly unbearable, even with every window open. The house simply was not designed for facilitating passive air flow. My friends, who lived in a rather dumpy 19th century "dogtrot" farm house, reported sleeping in relative comfort. https://www.southernliving.com/home/dog-trot-house https://www.southernliving.com/home/dog-trot-house
- b0rsuk 5y ago
  It appears you've read the article to the very end - I'm glad you've enjoyed it. High ceilings - absolutely. Warm air goes up, can it get simpler than that? Primary/Elementary school physics. If you watch some videos on lost African civilizations and traditional architecture, it's full of them (and curtains rather than doors). Some examples are Basil Davidson's "Africa" serries (on youtube, if you don't mind low quality) and I think Stefan Milo on his channel, the video about coral cities ("Swahili Culture"). Interesting experience with Katrina. You could call it having a house that "fails gracefully" and doesn't rely completely on any one system. There are downsides to modern, well-isolated houses. When air is the primary medium of heating your house, opening a window means almost literally letting money out. Aside from crap like emissions from furniture (I believe they're called VOC - not a native speaker), dust, bacteria and fungal spores pile up. People develop allergy and respiration-related diseases more easily.
- kccqzy 5y ago
  > High ceilings, transoms, pier foundations, tin roofs, etc. How does a high ceiling help? Doesn't a high ceiling mean there's a larger volume of air in the room to cool? You'll also need a more powerful fan to move the extra air around.
  - moqca 5y ago
    Hot air goes up

by b0rsuk 5y ago

faeyanpiraat 5y ago

Interesting. On really hot days I’ve discovered that the most annoying thing is that the stuff I’m in contact with gets too hot. Sleeping ON a wet towel made all the difference.

cgsmith 5y ago
How do you keep your bed from getting wet or do you accept the consequence? I'm going to pursue cold showers at night on really hot days and try to keep the AC off or only kick on if the house temp is 85F.
- BoiledCabbage 5y ago
  You could buy a mattress cover maybe?
- faeyanpiraat 5y ago
  I just accept the fact, I squeeze all the excess water out of the towel though, so it's not a big issue. Cold showers didn't work for me, as you'll dry in like 15 minutes, and you are back to square one.
  - ddingus 5y ago
    The damp towel and a light breeze can be amazing! Dries out in most environments too. Just flip the bed covers over and or set them aside and it all is set for the next evening, in my experience.
  - b0rsuk 5y ago
    I think the parent might be suggesting that sleeping on a wet bed might trigger peeing reflex.
    - faeyanpiraat 5y ago
      Eww. Never had an issue like that.
- deleted 5y ago
  [deleted]
- deleted 5y ago
  [deleted]

clydethefrog 5y ago

What a lovely website. Fun article about how old Thinkpads are indeed low tech nowadays as well. Just found out one my favourite articles I discovered about Chinese wheelbarrows was also from this site! https://www.lowtechmagazine.com/2011/12/the-chinese-wheelbarrow.html https://www.lowtechmagazine.com/2011/12/the-chinese-wheelbar...

blacksmith_tb 5y ago
That is a good one! Also worth noting, they host the site on an RPi running off solar power[1]. 1: https://www.lowtechmagazine.com/2020/01/how-sustainable-is-a-solar-powered-website.html https://www.lowtechmagazine.com/2020/01/how-sustainable-is-a...

a012 5y ago

I prefer solar version of this website: https://solar.lowtechmagazine.com/about.html https://solar.lowtechmagazine.com/about.html

mr_overalls 5y ago

The final comments on "AC architecture" are quite interesting. In my childhood home, the American South, pre-1950's housing is highly optimized for cooling. High ceilings, transoms, pier foundations, tin roofs, etc. When Hurricane Katrina hit and left us without power for two weeks in the summer, sleeping in our normally comfortable home was nearly unbearable, even with every window open. The house simply was not designed for facilitating passive air flow. My friends, who lived in a rather dumpy 19th century "dogtrot" farm house, reported sleeping in relative comfort. https://www.southernliving.com/home/dog-trot-house https://www.southernliving.com/home/dog-trot-house

b0rsuk 5y ago
It appears you've read the article to the very end - I'm glad you've enjoyed it. High ceilings - absolutely. Warm air goes up, can it get simpler than that? Primary/Elementary school physics. If you watch some videos on lost African civilizations and traditional architecture, it's full of them (and curtains rather than doors). Some examples are Basil Davidson's "Africa" serries (on youtube, if you don't mind low quality) and I think Stefan Milo on his channel, the video about coral cities ("Swahili Culture"). Interesting experience with Katrina. You could call it having a house that "fails gracefully" and doesn't rely completely on any one system. There are downsides to modern, well-isolated houses. When air is the primary medium of heating your house, opening a window means almost literally letting money out. Aside from crap like emissions from furniture (I believe they're called VOC - not a native speaker), dust, bacteria and fungal spores pile up. People develop allergy and respiration-related diseases more easily.
kccqzy 5y ago
> High ceilings, transoms, pier foundations, tin roofs, etc. How does a high ceiling help? Doesn't a high ceiling mean there's a larger volume of air in the room to cool? You'll also need a more powerful fan to move the extra air around.
- moqca 5y ago
  Hot air goes up