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by p1mrx 1027 days ago
> Anyone who is in the affected area during such an event would only survive if they had air conditioning and uninterrupted power.

Could you survive in a basement?
2 comments
aidenn0 1027 days ago
The really short answer: If the wet-bulb temperature in your basement is sufficiently low, then yes. Otherwise no.

Note that for a small poorly-ventilated basement, the humidity will rise from respiration, thus increasing the wet-bulb temperature. For a well-ventilated basement, the air temperature will approach the outdoor temperature, thus increasing the wet-bulb temperature.

If you have a giant, well-shaded, pool of water, the water temperature will usually be below the peak air temperature (water has high thermal mass, so it will take a long time for it to come up to the ambient temperature, even at high humidity, where evaporation effects are negligible) so that's another non-AC method of staying cool.

In any event pools of water and basements don't scale to densely populated areas.

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ChatGTP 1027 days ago
Or in a river ?
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dredmorbius 1027 days ago
It would of course depend on the river and its own temperature.

Keep in mind that we're now seeing sea surface temperatures above 38°C (100°F).

If the river itself is slow-moving and is in an area of prolonged heat, it will also be warm.

The areas most prone to high temperatures often also have little surface water, or at least, not enough to shelter all persons affected.

Water refuges being too warm for human survival is an early plot point in Kim Stanley Robinson's Ministry for the Future.

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p1mrx 1027 days ago
It's a lot easier to build a basement than a river.
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ChatGTP 1027 days ago
I was actually serious ?
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