Chicago is a very cold place in the winter, more than I’m used to dealing with even living in Utah. The thing that really strikes me when I come here though is how warm it is kept indoors. Most public places are kept at a temperature that must be near 80 degrees (Fahrenheit).

This strikes me as a very bad idea. Studies have shown that large sudden temperature swings are a major cause of illness. With the temperature outside being so low, a more comfortable temperature would be in the neighborhood of 70 degrees.

Last night when I arrived, I forgot to turn on the heater in my room. I was comfortable all night, until I woke up and the room was freezing. At that point I turned on the heater, and also turned it down quite a bit from the setting it was on. After my morning routine, I came out of the bathroom to sweltering heat, so I turned the heater down again, this time to the point midway between hot and cold. As I write this, it is still too warm, so it’s now inched into the blue.

Thankfully I will be spending most of my time in an air-conditioned data center. I’m sure the locals start shivering anytime they go inside it, but to me it’s wonderful.