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I have read that the French media have a talking point about AC being dangerous because walking into a cool building during a hot day might harm people through

I have read that the French media have a talking point about AC being dangerous because walking into a cool building during a hot day might harm people through "thermal shock". It's almost too stupid for me to believe this is genuinely a claim made in France. Perhaps some people in Europe are reacting against AC in a very silly way because they associate AC with America and some sort of national pride or ego gets in the way of rational thought about the subject.

seszett 1y ago
> the French media have a talking point about AC being dangerous because walking into a cool building during a hot day might harm people through "thermal shock". I'd be interested to know on which media you have heard it because I haven't. Maybe some obscure programme on Cnews or some channel like that had an "expert" say that once. Some people will be worried about catching a cold, at most.
- lupusreal 1y ago
  I read it through HN a few weeks ago, a Wall Street Journal article mentioned it. Maybe the WSJ made it up to make France seem stupid.
  - seszett 1y ago
    Maybe it's also a language problem as "choc thermique" is technically "thermal shock", but the French "choc" doesn't have the medical undertones of English "shock". It just means that you go from hot to cold or the contrary. Anyway it's not common to think that entering a place with AC is actually dangerous.
  - impish9208 1y ago
    I think you’re referring to this post of mine :) https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=44657309 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=44657309
plqbfbv 1y ago
> It's almost too stupid for me to believe this is genuinely a claim made in France. I agree with you, but at the same time I recall my last trip to NY 20 years ago. It was end of summer, so kinda hot, and many times I walked into buildings that would shower you at the entrance with <16C AC air, it literally felt like stepping into a freezer room. I felt cold in many shops after a 10m stay, and I like cold. I'm not sure that's still the case, but I can see where that's coming from (and don't get me wrong, I need AC to survive when temps are above 27C). Removing humidity and bringing temps down in the 21~24C range would be plenty enough.

seszett 1y ago

> the French media have a talking point about AC being dangerous because walking into a cool building during a hot day might harm people through "thermal shock". I'd be interested to know on which media you have heard it because I haven't. Maybe some obscure programme on Cnews or some channel like that had an "expert" say that once. Some people will be worried about catching a cold, at most.

lupusreal 1y ago
I read it through HN a few weeks ago, a Wall Street Journal article mentioned it. Maybe the WSJ made it up to make France seem stupid.
- seszett 1y ago
  Maybe it's also a language problem as "choc thermique" is technically "thermal shock", but the French "choc" doesn't have the medical undertones of English "shock". It just means that you go from hot to cold or the contrary. Anyway it's not common to think that entering a place with AC is actually dangerous.
- impish9208 1y ago
  I think you’re referring to this post of mine :) https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=44657309 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=44657309

plqbfbv 1y ago

> It's almost too stupid for me to believe this is genuinely a claim made in France. I agree with you, but at the same time I recall my last trip to NY 20 years ago. It was end of summer, so kinda hot, and many times I walked into buildings that would shower you at the entrance with <16C AC air, it literally felt like stepping into a freezer room. I felt cold in many shops after a 10m stay, and I like cold. I'm not sure that's still the case, but I can see where that's coming from (and don't get me wrong, I need AC to survive when temps are above 27C). Removing humidity and bringing temps down in the 21~24C range would be plenty enough.