# Body Temperature

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/body-temperature/86893>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [October 11, 2001, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/body-temperature/86893 "2001-10-11T21:07:32Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Lateralus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/35a633/32.png) [@Lateralus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lateralus)\
**Post date:** [October 11, 2001, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/body-temperature/86893/1 "2001-10-11T21:07:32Z")

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Why are humans most comfortable at room temperature (65-70 degrees), and not at 98.6 degrees?

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**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\
**Post date:** [October 11, 2001, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/body-temperature/86893/2 "2001-10-11T21:11:35Z")

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You need a heat sink to dump your body’s waste heat into. How effectively your body can radiate this excess thermal energy (produced by your metabolism) depends on the temperature of the surrounding environment, it’s conductivity, it’s humidity, etc. 70 degrees with middling humidity makes it easy to dump the waste heat without discomfort. As temperature (or humidity) rises, it gets harder.

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**Author:** ![manhattan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manhattan/32/7_2.png) [@manhattan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/manhattan)\
**Post date:** [October 11, 2001, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/body-temperature/86893/3 "2001-10-11T22:30:32Z")

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**Cecil Adams** on [If body temperature is 98.6 F, why do we feel uncomfortable when it’s 90?](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a3_059.html)

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**Author:** ![Dignan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f07891/32.png) [@Dignan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dignan)\
**Post date:** [October 11, 2001, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/body-temperature/86893/4 "2001-10-11T22:31:03Z")

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Qadgop did a good job, but just for reference, here’s what [Cecil says](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a3_059.html).