We live in a high-tech age, where computers and automated devices are numerous and, in many respects, are already in control of our lives. We ask disembodied voices for advice and instructions, depend on our refrigerators to tell us what we need to shop for, and generally trust the numbers and information placed before us.
In our current age of misinformation and disinformation, people no longer trust governmental, educational, or media institutions, while, at the same time, taking as gospel the numbers they see on display screens. Don’t believe me? Answer me this.
When you’re about to go outside, and you check the temperature, either on your in-house thermometers or the weather report, do you look beyond the temperature and forecast for rain or shine? Chances are, you don’t. If the displayed temperature is anywhere between 50 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit (F) (10 – 29 degrees Celsius (C)), and no storms are forecast, you think you can make your plans for a nice time in the outdoors. That, unfortunately, can be a big mistake if you don’t probe further into weather conditions.
I had this vividly illustrated for me around mid-July of this year. I live in a small city in Maryland, located in the foothills of the Catoctin Mountains, with weather that is usually mild year-round (warm, but not sweltering summers, and cold but not arctic winters).
This year has been unusually hot, though, requiring some care when going outside. My wife, though, simply looks at the temperature and the sky. If it’s in the comfortable range and she sees no rain clouds, she’s good to go. One day, the temperature was 85 Degrees F, and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky. She suggested we go for our regular two-mile walk, and when I said it was too hot, an argument ensued.
I then spent the next half an hour educating her on the concept of heat index, the way heat feels, and how it affects you when the humidity is high. That day, the moisture in the air, sans clouds, was 90 percent, which made for a heat index of approximately 113 degrees F, a temperature that can cause heat stroke, which can be fatal for the very young, the elderly, or those with health conditions. It took a while, but I finally got to her, and then I had to spend another half hour explaining wind chill, a winter phenomenon where the wind makes it feel colder than it is.
For instance, if the temperature reading is 32 degrees F, the temperature at which water freezes, and the wind is blowing at 25 miles per hour (MPH), the wind chill is minus 19 degrees F. When the wind chill is around minus 17 degrees F, or more, frostbite can occur within 30 minutes. If you’re comfortable with the prospect of losing fingers or toes, fine. If not, you might want to change your plans.
So, there are two lessons here, both very important. The first step is to ensure you’ve factored in the heat index or wind chill when planning outdoor activities in winter or summer. Wind chill is a real killer. It can cause hypothermia when you’re exposed for long periods to cold temperatures, wet conditions, or wind, leading to a drop in body temperature below 95 degrees F.
If you’re riding a motorcycle at high speeds on a day when the temperature is 70 degrees F and winds buffet you at 40 MPH, the wind chill is minus 19 degrees F. Hypothermia can occur at temperatures as high as 50 degrees F when wet and windy conditions are present.
If all that frightens you, good. That leads me to the second lesson—the need for critical thinking. Analyze things for what they are, not what the numbers you can see say they are. A little extra thinking on an issue can also be a guard against being taken in by disinformation. | NWI
