Episode 30: Ancient Air Conditioning

Even though it is autumn now, down here in Florida it can still get pretty hot, and I was reminded just how hot it can get when Hurricane Michael struck my region. Hurricane Michael left me and thousands of others without electricity and therefore without air conditioning. It made me wonder, how did people stay cool before air conditioning existed? It turns out that ancient people didn’t just sweat it out. They actually came up with some really ingenious ways to keep their cool. On Episode 30 of Hang Your Hat, I explore some of the ways that ancient people stayed cool, even in the hottest climates, and what we can do today to stay cool without electricity.

A Transcript of this show is available to patrons at http://patreon.com/hangyourhat

Today’s Music was by Andy G. Cohen.

Sources:

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windcatcher

• http://www.asiagreenbuildings.com/7678/india-ancient-cooling-systems-an-option-to-environmental-sustainability/

• https://www.energydigital.com/sustainability/ancient-passive-cooling-designs-provide-insight

• https://www.cnn.com/2012/02/28/world/asia/ancient-air-conditioning-architecture/index.htm

• https://www.offthegridnews.com/how-to-2/off-grid-ac-9-forgotten-ways-the-ancient-romans-and-everyone-else-stayed-cool-1/

• http://www.inventioncity.com/inventors/air-conditioning

• https://atomberg.com/inventor-of-fan/

• http://scienceline.ucsb.edu/getkey.php?key=3873

• http://www.yourhome.gov.au/passive-design/passive-cooling

• https://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=home_sealing.hm_improvement_insulation_table

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whole-house_fan