地球變得越來越熱，我們很快就要佩戴空調(diào)了

地球變得越來越熱，我們很快就要佩戴空調(diào)了

Imagine a planet with an environment so harsh that humans wear climate-controlled suits to get around.

想象一下這樣一個星球，它的環(huán)境是如此的惡劣，以至于人類穿著氣候控制的衣服四處走動。

Now imagine that planet is Earth.

現(xiàn)在想象這顆行星是地球。

There's little doubt our home world is taking a turn for the torrid, making it harder and harder to live here.

毫無疑問，我們的家園正在經(jīng)歷一場風暴，讓我們越來越難以在這里生活。

"Each of the last three decades has been successively warmer at the Earth's surface than any preceding decade since 1850," notes a landmark 2013 report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

政府間氣候變化專門委員會(IPCC) 2013年發(fā)布的一份具有里程碑意義的報告指出:“過去30年里，地球表面的溫度都是1850年以來最高的。”

When it comes to the Embr Wave, being cool is a state of mind. (Photo: Still from YouTube/Embr Labs)

And there's no doubt heat kills. Every year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 600 people die in the U.S. alone from severe heat.

毫無疑問，高溫會致人死亡。根據(jù)美國疾病控制與預防中心的數(shù)據(jù)，僅在美國，每年就有600多人死于酷暑。

It's no wonder we spend so much of our summers huddled in our climate-controlled colonies — offices and homes where we can breathe a little easier. And ironically, that reliance on air conditioning — and the fossil fuel plants that power it — only heats up our atmosphere more.

難怪我們夏天的大部分時間都擠在氣候控制的殖民地里——辦公室和家里，在那里我們可以呼吸得更輕松一些。具有諷刺意味的是，對空調(diào)的依賴——以及為其提供動力的化石燃料工廠——只會讓我們的大氣層變得更熱。

But we do have to go outside sometimes. Only soon, we may have to suit up for it.

但是有時候我們確實得出去走走。只是很快，我們可能就得穿上它。

Fortunately, the designs for wearable air conditioning — yes, companies are already developing the technology — don't suggest we'll be waddling around in Apollo 11-style moon suits.

幸運的是，可穿戴空調(diào)的設計——是的，公司已經(jīng)在開發(fā)這項技術(shù)——并不意味著我們將穿著阿波羅11號風格的月球服到處閑逛。

Instead, the focus is more on wearables. Sony, for example, crowdfunded a devicethat fits seamlessly under clothes to cool the skin.

相反，該公司更關(guān)注可穿戴設備。例如，索尼就眾籌了一款設備，它可以無縫地嵌入衣服里，讓皮膚降溫。

Think of it like an ice cube pressed up against the skin; or reversed, a hot pocket.

把它想象成緊貼在皮膚上的冰塊;或者反過來，一個熱口袋。

Increasingly hot summers have led to an increased reliance on air conditioners. (Photo: Alex Marakhovets/Shutterstock)

Other devices, like already available Embr Wave, don't target the body so much as the mind. The device, developed by MIT scientists, doesn't lower body temperature at all. Rather, it tricks us into thinking we're cooler.

其他設備，比如已經(jīng)可用的Embr波，并不針對身體，而是針對大腦。這種由麻省理工學院科學家開發(fā)的設備根本不會降低體溫。相反，它讓我們覺得自己更酷。

Indeed, a study from UC Berkeley's Center for the Built Environment found that people feel as much as 5 degrees cooler with an Embr Wave strapped on.

事實上，加州大學伯克利分校建筑環(huán)境中心的一項研究發(fā)現(xiàn)，綁上Embr波后，人們的體溫會降低5度。

Imagine running around during a heat wave telling everyone how great you feel — until you pass out. But devices like the Embr Wave may have the simplest solution to the problem of how awful humidity makes us feel.

想象一下在熱浪中跑來跑去，告訴每個人你有多棒，直到你昏倒。但是像Embr波這樣的設備可能有最簡單的方法來解決濕度讓我們感覺有多糟糕的問題。

Perhaps more importantly, personal air conditioning — regardless of the technology behind it — is significantly more efficient than traditional building units. We may finally ease up on the monolithic system of compressors, condensers and refrigerants typically set too cold for many in the office.

或許更重要的是，個人空調(diào)——不管其背后的技術(shù)如何——比傳統(tǒng)建筑單元的效率要高得多。我們可能最終會放松由壓縮機、冷凝器和制冷劑組成的整體系統(tǒng)，這些設備通常對辦公室里的許多人來說都太冷了。

Targeting a very specific area — your body, rather than the space around you — wearables sip so little energy, we may even slip into them at home. And maybe, finally, give our planet a reason to breathe a little easier.

可穿戴設備瞄準的是一個非常特定的區(qū)域——你的身體，而不是你周圍的空間——消耗的能量如此之少，我們甚至可能會在家里溜進去。也許，最后，給我們的星球一個理由，讓我們呼吸得更輕松一些。