We may be coming off of the dead heat of summer, but that sun, if it’s hitting just right, can still be a scorcher in the middle of the afternoon. The immediate reaction of, I would say, everyone, is to find something to fan in front of your face, creating a breeze and relief, albeit a small amount.
But there comes a time in everyone’s life where they hear the filthy little rumor that fanning something -- your hand, a program, a crude fan you made out of a piece of printer paper -- in front of your face actually makes it feel hotter. Why? Well, they say it's because you’re exerting energy to get your fan of choice going, which increases your body temperature. I must ask: Is everyone full of it?
Some say that the energy exertion only makes you about 1 percent warmer -- not enough to offset the cooling effect that comes from the act of fanning, which keeps the air moving to conduct heat and stave off moisture. There are supporting arguments for this, citing that the ratio of heat loss to heat gained is in our favor; waving a fan, they say, only adds 1 watt of energy production, but the fanning action can double your heat loss.
So, that’s good news.
And, honestly, no one out there (on the internet, at least) really says otherwise. Yes, your body expends more energy when you’re not completely at rest, but when it comes to fanning yourself, that tiny bit of extra energy is going to go a long way. That’s just a good deal.
Fan away, friends!