Why is a mostly-incorrect* analysis of candles on the frontpage? Just because Carmack is saying it?
*: Wattage might be the same, but the effect on air quality is different. Humans don't exhale carbon monoxide and smoke.
A candle produces roughly the same amount of energy as a resting human
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Re: A candle produces roughly the same amount of energy as a resting human
#42[deleted]
Re: A candle produces roughly the same amount of energy as a resting human
#43Text for those who don't do the bird site: A candle produces roughly the same amount of energy as a resting human — 80 to 100 watts, also consuming about the same amount of oxygen and producing the same amount of CO2. In an enclosed area, adding candles is about like adding people from an air quality standpoint.
except that candles don't just produce CO2, they produce soot and many other molecules which have been clearly associated with negative health outcomes.
This is why I only use hydrogen torches at my dinner table.
Re: A candle produces roughly the same amount of energy as a resting human
#44People concern for "air quality" lately has me wondering how in the world humanity survived to this point, in utter ignorance of the horrid damage everything they could smell was doing to them. Perhaps we should be encased in sterile bubbles at birth, with all inputs filtered for purity and consistency. Surely that would be the best way to avoid all the dire consequences of the pollutants surrounding us.
h2odragon in 1890: People concern for "Germs" lately has me wondering how in the world humanity survived to this point, in utter ignorance of the horrid damage everything they could touch was doing to them. Perhaps we should wash our hands with soap, with all inputs filtered for purity and consistency. Surely that would be the best way to avoid all the dire consequences of the pollutants surrounding us.
While I agree with you, it's possible to write this comment without the snarky, reddit-style tone. I think re-writing your comment to be less snarky and more patient would lend itself to a better website experience. Cheers.
Re: A candle produces roughly the same amount of energy as a resting human
#45Text for those who don't do the bird site: A candle produces roughly the same amount of energy as a resting human — 80 to 100 watts, also consuming about the same amount of oxygen and producing the same amount of CO2. In an enclosed area, adding candles is about like adding people from an air quality standpoint.
Almost the exact same thread and thoughts shared on the tweet are here too... Interesting stuff. I wouldn't think Twitter and HN would be so closely aligned.
Re: A candle produces roughly the same amount of energy as a resting human
#46Text for those who don't do the bird site: A candle produces roughly the same amount of energy as a resting human — 80 to 100 watts, also consuming about the same amount of oxygen and producing the same amount of CO2. In an enclosed area, adding candles is about like adding people from an air quality standpoint.
except that candles don't just produce CO2, they produce soot and many other molecules which have been clearly associated with negative health outcomes.
I'm disappointed by the lack of a methane emissions joke
Re: A candle produces roughly the same amount of energy as a resting human
#47Earlier quoted context omitted.
except that candles don't just produce CO2, they produce soot and many other molecules which have been clearly associated with negative health outcomes.
This is why I only use hydrogen torches at my dinner table.
Unless fully enclosed, burning hydrogen is really too dangerous for the dinner table:
https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=detecting%20a%20hydrog...
Re: A candle produces roughly the same amount of energy as a resting human
#48How bad does our bedroom air quality get? or how much CO2 do two adult humans produce in a 10x10 closed room overnight? Is it enough to push the CO2 high enough to have an effect?
I've noticed I sleep better when I sleep separately from my wife. I'm the more violent sleeper, so it's not movement related, so I'm wondering if it's air quality related.
Re: A candle produces roughly the same amount of energy as a resting human
#49Earlier quoted context omitted.
Sterile bubbles?? Made of what, plastic? But what of the microplastics? I upvoted your comment because I, too, am tired of the constant doom and gloom rhetoric. It turns out that practically anything and everything we are exposed to as we live our lives can have negative effects on us. I'm gonna keep using scented candles, and if they want to be the death of me, well, they will just have to get in line behind basical…
constant doom and gloom rhetoric That's a take you share with many, without a doubt. I view it more like performance optimization. Clear correlation between CO2 levels and cognition. Clear correlation between "air quality" in general and health. I try to optimize for those things when possible. When I deviate from that I'd at least like it to be an informed decision. Do you think there's a happy middle ground between…
> Nobody is claiming that's bad or that you shouldn't use them, and certainly not Carmack in the linked tweet.
Are you not reading all the other comments on this thread? Haha. They might not be outright saying "don't use them", but there are several comments in this thread that say 'if you use candles then you don't care about improving health safety.'
I certainly get that vibe from a lot of the comments here, even if I detest scented candles and wish my partner would stop using them!
Re: A candle produces roughly the same amount of energy as a resting human
#50Earlier quoted context omitted.
And humans don't just produce CO2. They shed everything from dust to viruses. Really, humans are the health concern we should be paying more attention to.
I don't know about you, but seems to me like we paid a lot of attention to humans as a vector for poor health over the last 3 years...
Indeed. I think we can all agree now that humans are a dangerous vector for viruses, filth, and general unpleasantness, and the world would be a safer, more pleasant place if we eradicated them entirely.