Monday, November 02, 2009

Thought Experiment: Getting hot feet over cool headedness

In response to this:

Sydney is warm in theory, though
Andrew Bolt
Monday, November 02, 2009 at 12:09am



Still waiting for that warming:

SYDNEYSIDERS are repacking their winter woollies after the coldest October in 17 years.

I left this:

Imagine getting into a bathtub half filled with water at body temperature. Turn on the hot water tap so there is a little pressure, but not enough to scald you and lay back, so your ears are in water.

After a minute or so, as your feet and calves start to warm up, ask yourself whether your average body temperature has gone up.

Of course, it has gone up. You know that more heat has entered the bath, and the law of thermodynamics tell us the heat is going to transfer to our now relatively cooler body.

It would be pretty silly to argue that because our head is relatively cooler than our feet that the warming (increase in average body temperature) isn't happening.

Wonder how it will go? Will the snippers come out, or will I be given the the big B? Or will my proposed thought experiment be greeted with the vigorous curiosity of the open minded?


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