The Hotter, The Dumber

A study proves that people get dumber in hotter weather

Get ready for "stupid" to break out all over the Grand Valley. Researchers at Harvard University say they have proven that the human brain works 13% slower when its forced to work in extreme heat.

Here's the official National Weather Service forecast for Grand Junction.

Thursday- Mostly sunny and hot, with a high near 101. Southeast wind 5 to 10 mph becoming light and variable.

Friday- Mostly sunny and hot, with a high near 99. Southeast wind 5 to 10 mph becoming west in the morning.

The report on the POLS Medicine website says that scientists studied 44 college students living in the Boston area during the heat wave of 2016. That July stretch of weather was reportedly one of the hottest on record. Half of the students lived in a building with no AC. The other 22 lived in an air-conditioned dorm during the 12-day experiment. The results from a Harvard School of Public Health test concluded that the students in the non-air-conditioned residence hall performed 13% lower on math and memory tests than their AC cooled counterparts.

So if you've always thought people lost their minds during hot weather, your hunch may have been right. Heat waves make people dumber. The effect seemed to be the same for both guys and gals so it's best to stay cool if you can. Even though the test looks conclusive, It's doubtful the "heat wave excuse" will bail you out if you make a fool of yourself in front of your girlfriend. Especially if all her girlfriends are present at the time of your "dumbness."

Credit: CBS4 Denver

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