Science lovers, get excited, because one of the top research universities in the country has just announced a fascinating theory that will undoubtedly have the physics world buzzing: researchers at MIT have determined that the blanket makes you warm because it goes on top of you!
Wow! The science of blankets is truly mind-blowing!
A thermodynamics-focused research team in MIT’s Department of Physics has been working tirelessly on experiments testing the material properties and thermal capacity of blankets for more than six months, ultimately determining that blankets are able to work thanks to you go under them where it is nice and warm. “The blanket—it makes you hot by going on top of your legs and torso,” said David Rubinstein, a graduate researcher on the team. “When the blanket finds itself all spread out over a person, it begins its work keeping the hot air more near to the body, creating what we call a ‘comfy, cozy area.’”
“This is very, very good,” Rubinstein added.
Amazing. Finally someone figured out why the blanket is so warm! This is incredible!
The MIT team hypothesized early on that the blanket might keep you warm because it is soft, or because it goes on your bed. But countless hours spent logging blankets’ densities and specific heat capacities yielded a different result. “The blanket — oh, he is wonderful,” said research team lead Marlena Rodriguez. “But the important variable is go below, because this is how the blanket can protect you.” She went on to explain how after initial weeks spent testing what would happen if a person simply touched a blanket, or if he put it in the yard right outside his bedroom window, Rodriguez’s team came to the conclusion that cool air would still affect a person’s body temperature, and that the blanket would only be effective if it was resting safely atop their body.
“Going underneath the blanket is nothing short of warm,” she concluded.
Well, this is nothing short of fascinating! The place where science and blankets intersect is certainly worthy of more study, though this theory alone is extremely enlightening. Thank you for doing this important research, MIT! We love blanket!
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