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 //
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