Popular Mechanics - USA (2020-07)

(Antfer) #1

Science


40°F

100°F

97.5°F
98.4°F

98.2°F

Why Our


Bodies


Have Gotten


Colder With


Each Passing


Decade


S


INCE THE GERMAN PHYSICIAN CARL
Reinhold August Wunderlich published
his research on human body tempera-
t ure in 1868, 98.6 degrees Fa hrenheit
has been the gold standard. Now scien-
tists say that number may be inaccurate.
Thanks to improved health outcomes—
meaning people are generally healthier and
getting better overall medical treatment—the
average human body temperature has fallen grad-
ually over time.
“Much as we have changed the Earth ecosys-
tem, we are changing our own ecosystems,” says ▶

Body temperature
fluctuates throughout
the day and is often
higher in the afternoon.


GE

TT

Y^ I

MA

GE

S

// BY CAROLINE DELBERT //

7

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