The human body’s ability to withstand heat is much greater than we often think. In central Australia, summer temperatures in shaded areas can reach 46 degrees Celsius, with peaks up to 56 degrees. If the temperature increases gradually, the human body can even endure… the boiling point of water.
When ships travel from the Red Sea to the Persian Gulf, even though there are always ventilation fans in the ship’s cabins, temperatures can still reach 50 degrees Celsius.
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Death Valley in California (Photo: trailmonkey) |
or even higher. The highest temperature recorded in nature on the Earth’s surface is not more than 57 degrees Celsius, established in Death Valley, California (North America).
However, these temperatures were measured in the shade. Why do meteorologists choose such locations? This is because only when the thermometer is placed in the shade can it accurately measure the air temperature. If the thermometer is left in the sun, the sun heats it much more than the surrounding air, which means its reading does not provide any information about the thermal state of the environment.
There have been experiments conducted to determine the highest temperature that the human body can withstand. It was found that in dry air, if the temperature increases gradually, our body can not only tolerate the boiling point of water (100° C) but sometimes even withstand temperatures as high as 160° C. Two British physicists, Blagden and Centigrade, demonstrated this by standing for hours in a hot toaster.
Why is the human body capable of enduring such high temperatures? This is because, in reality, the human body does not absorb that heat but maintains a body temperature close to the standard level. Our body defends itself by sweating. When sweat evaporates, it absorbs a significant amount of heat from the layer of air that clings to the skin, thereby greatly reducing the temperature of that air layer.
The only necessary condition that allows the human body to withstand high temperatures is that the body does not come into direct contact with the heat source and the air must be dry. In Central Asia, temperatures of 37 degrees can still feel relatively comfortable. However, if it reaches 24 degrees in Saint Petersburg, we already feel uncomfortable. The reason is that the humidity in Saint Petersburg is high, while in Central Asia, there is very little rain, resulting in an extremely dry climate.
