The human fridge: is this really the best way to cool down in a ‘cruelly hot’ climate?
Name: The human fridge. Age: Brand new. Appearance: A 2.1 metre-high (7ft) stainless-steel fridge for humans. Aren’t all fridges for humans? I guess that’s right
Name: The human fridge. Age: Brand new. Appearance: A 2.1 metre-high (7ft) stainless-steel fridge for humans. Aren’t all fridges for humans? I guess that’s right, but this one is to put humans into. Oh, like a refrigerated mortuary cabinet? Yes, just like that, except you don’t have to be declared dead to use it. It still sounds grim. Don’t knock it until you have tried it. The Do Hiemon “personal cooling booth” has launched in Japan and promises to chill your body completely in just 10 minutes. How? You climb into it, it cools you down and then you leave.
Why does this thing exist? Why do you think? The world is on fire. We have spent this summer being pummelled by heatwave after heatwave. Records have been broken across Europe, and this week Japan logged its first “cruelly hot” (above 40C) day of the year. What’s to be done? Well, we have two options. We can devote ourselves to achieving net zero as quickly as possible, because all the scientific evidence suggests that the longer we continue adding carbon dioxide to the atmosphere, the hotter the planet will become. And the other option? Build a big fridge and hop inside.
It’s a compelling point. And a medically useful one too. The inside of the fridge is cooled to 15C, and a 5C jet of air is blown on to your head, neck, shoulders and back. The makers claim that it can ease the symptoms of heat exhaustion faster than air conditioning or a fan. It sounds expensive and wasteful though. The fridge is said to cost just 7p an hour to run, which is about three times less than a toaster. But then it does sell for about £6,900 (1.5m yen). I knew there would be a catch.
But if you operate a warehouse or a factory where workers are routinely exposed to punishing heat, or you put one in a public place – like a vending machine for people who feel unwell – then it might save lives. Admit it, you want to try it. I’m still not sold. It’s such a big investment. I’ll just stick to using the budget option – hiding between the milk trolleys in the supermarket. Your loss. Do say: “They have built a fridge for humans.” Don’t say: “Ooh, do a salad spinner for humans next.”
The BriefWire