3 ms·
> Could we live in the interior of the Pangean super continent We already avoid living in the interior of Australia, because living at temperatures of +50°C is
by nine_k 2y ago
> Could we live in the interior of the Pangean super continent
We already avoid living in the interior of Australia, because living at temperatures of +50°C is just not very compatible with having body temperature slightly below +37°C. Same applies to the middle of Sahara desert. It's not impossible though, because the humidity is very low there, so, given a supply of water, you can cool by evaporation. At high humidity. you'd just die; such things happen during heat waves on the Indian subcontinent, for example.
- samatman 2y agoPeople certainly die during heat waves, on the Subcontinent and elsewhere. High heat at high humidity is dangerous to endure. However, there is no historical record of the wet bulb temperature outdoors exceeding human body temperature, anywhere, ever. So far. Which is what it would take for the human body to be unable to remove excess heat in any fashion.
- ordinaryradical 2y agoSee also: chapter one of Kim Stanley Robinson’s The Ministry for the Future.
- relaxing 2y ago> However, there is no historical record of the wet bulb temperature outdoors That’s not really saying much. The historical record is vanishingly small.
- gaadd33 2y agoThe current record of 36.6 seems like it would be close enough to cause major issues.