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// I'd like to see your sources // See the July 19, 2022 Issue of the Scientific American, "How Hot Is Too Hot for the Human Body?" // I would frequently go r

• echelon 3y ago
  I spent fifteen minutes in a 112 deg F shower today [1] at presumably near total humidity. I do this all the time, and that isn't even hot. I was born and live in heat, so when I hear cold climate SF denizens say the end is nigh, I have to chuckle. I took a look at your source [2]. I'll have to read the underlying literature. The way this is presented to a lay audience doesn't make it clear if they're controlling for acclimation. I'm not educated in physiology beyond an undergrad class, so I'm not sure if their measure is a good proxy. It'll take sixty years to raise the temperature two degrees, after which I'll probably be dead. It'll take centuries to push into dangerous ranges. I think we're already building the tech to deal with this, and very little growth is exponential. This is going to be yet another sigmoid. And in geologic times, just noise. I will say I am worried about loss of species diversity. But I'm more worried about a lack of cheap energy to fuel our ascendent climb to the next stages. And more worried about nukes. As far as green tech goes, I've always been worried about particulate matter in the air leading to cardiopulmonary diseases. So it's not a bad thing and I've never once been against it. What I am concerned about is that we're teaching Gen Z and Gen Alpha to just give up. Go look at /r/GenZ and all the threads about climate - these kids are just giving up on life because of these memes. In reality, their lives will not be impacted by climate change whatsoever. We're scaring them to death and their entire generation is experiencing trauma because of this. We do need to control these systems, and we do need to protect ecosystem biodiversity, but this hysteria is ridiculous. [1] I just measured the water temperature. [2] https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-hot-is-too-hot-for-the-human-body1/ https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-hot-is-too-ho...
  • rhelz 3y ago
    // I spent fifteen minutes in a 112 deg F shower...I spent fifteen minutes in a 112 deg F shower // Did you measure your body temperature? Were you able to cool yourself by sweating, or was your body temperature monotonically rising? Recall, it is recommended that you go to a doctor if you have a fever of over 103 degrees, and over 108 degrees you risk brain damage. Soaking some nice heat into your sore muscles in a 20-minute shower is one thing; but 24/7 your body is absolutely, positively not able to cool itself down is quite another. // They don't control for so many things, let alone acclimation. // Hey man, I gave you a source as requested. Whether or not evaporating water can cool down a body of a certain volume and surface when that body is internally generating heat--that isn't a matter of acclimation, its a matter of thermodynamics. // after which I'll probably be dead // And why think about extinction after I'm dead, eh? :-) But far before 60 years passes, you'll find yourself in the age demographic for which death from hot weather is a risk. The body's ability to thermoregulate degrades as we get older, alas... // worried about a lack of cheap energy // Wind farms are already cheaper to build than coal-fired plants. And if you factor in all the externalities, fossils fuels don't even come close to being a cheap source of energy. // we're teaching Gen Z and Gen Alpha to just give up... this hysteria is ridiculous // Worrying about how the media affects "kids these days" is a normal, expected part of the aging process :-) ....maybe, perhaps, the thought that Gen-Z and Gen-X are just giving up is a bit, well, I won't say hysterical, but perhaps a bit hyperbolic? And inasmuch as they are going to be here longer than we are, they do have a bit more of a stake in the future than we do.