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Ever since our ancestors mastered fire, humans have been able to warm themselves. Cooling down when it's hot has been more challenging.
The eccentric Roman emperor Elagabulus sent slaves to bring snow down from the mountains and pile it in his garden, where breezes would carry the cooler air inside.
[...] Needless to say, this was not a scalable solution. At least, not until the 19th century, when Boston entrepreneur Frederic Tudor amassed an unlikely fortune doing something similar.
He took blocks of ice from frozen New England lakes in winter, insulated them in sawdust, and shipped them to warmer climes for summer.
Until artificial ice-making took off, mild New England winters caused panic about an "ice famine".
Air conditioning as we know it began in 1902, but it had nothing to do with human comfort.
New York's Sackett & Wilhelms Lithographing and Printing Company became frustrated with varying humidity levels when trying to print in colour.
The same paper had to be printed four times in four colours, and if the humidity changed between print runs, the paper would slightly expand or contract. Even a millimetre's misalignment looked awful.
(Score: 2) by AthanasiusKircher on Tuesday June 06 2017, @11:01PM (5 children)
25C isn't all that hot. Except when necessary to remove excess humidity, I rarely would put a home AC thermostat below ~25C.
If you live in a climate where summer days consistently have highs of 30-40C and dewpoint is above 20C for long stretches, you realize the necessity for A/C to do more than sit around and drink cold drinks all day.
But I agree with you about the often unnecessarily low temperature settings with AC that contribute to some of the effects you mention.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday June 06 2017, @11:39PM (3 children)
You must live in a warm area... Most northerly-adapted people I know get uncomfortable above 70, southerners think below 60 is cold (and they're scared to drive in snow or rain but that's a whole 'nother story).
(Score: 2) by AthanasiusKircher on Wednesday June 07 2017, @03:04AM (1 child)
I think most people whine too much about temperature. I grew up in the North. I generally set my A/C around 80F at home in summer, and I set my heat around 60F in the winter. If it's hot, I wear fewer clothes; if it's cold, I put some more on. In the process, I save a lot in bills for heating/cooling energy. I don't see the need for keeping a house 70 degrees or whatever year-round when I can easily just wear a sweater or shorts.
That said, 70F can be very different things depending on humidity (as I explained about dewpoint above). In a humid climate at certain times of the year when it's not very hot out, I may need to set the AC as low as 70F just to bring the humidity down low enough to feel comfortable. But with low humidity and a fan, I generally don't find 80F to be bad at all.
(Score: 2) by Grishnakh on Wednesday June 07 2017, @03:12PM
I grew up in the North. I generally set my A/C around 80F at home in summer, and I set my heat around 60F in the winter. If it's hot, I wear fewer clothes; if it's cold, I put some more on. In the process, I save a lot in bills for heating/cooling energy.
You must not be married.
(Score: 2) by Azuma Hazuki on Wednesday June 07 2017, @03:05AM
Yup. Upper-midwest here. I haaaaaaaaate it when it's hotter than 70*F or so, especially with no breeze, and *especially* when it's humid. I can tolerate dry heat to 90*F or so but humidity is a killer.
I am "that girl" your mother warned you about...
(Score: 2) by Grishnakh on Wednesday June 07 2017, @03:14PM
But I agree with you about the often unnecessarily low temperature settings with AC that contribute to some of the effects you mention.
Those "unnecessarily low temperature settings" don't seem so unnecessary to millions of obese Americans....
Remember, we need to keep our offices chilled to 60F in the summer because otherwise fat Suzy will complain to HR.