tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36405856.post4842385425192631557..comments2024-03-18T07:07:53.346-04:00Comments on Ask a Korean!: FAN DEATH IS REALT.K. (Ask a Korean!)http://www.blogger.com/profile/07663422474464557214noreply@blogger.comBlogger203125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36405856.post-80370315034946251962017-01-27T17:20:27.533-05:002017-01-27T17:20:27.533-05:00I wonder if the reason Fan Death is so ridiculed i...I wonder if the reason Fan Death is so ridiculed is that in the West we've had access to air conditioners for so long. From my experience in the central US, the purpose of a fan is to take the cool air from the air conditioner and evenly distribute around the room/house. Using a fan without an air conditioner to back it up seems so strange, because if you live in a place where it's hot enough a fan would be useful you should already have an air conditioner installed. The only time you would use a fan without an air conditioner would be an open space (like a garage). It took me a while to understand what the problem was until I caught the implication that the Koreans would use a fan without an air conditioner.Ryan Stallardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07992008145313823493noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36405856.post-84409394821288955502016-11-11T20:14:21.205-05:002016-11-11T20:14:21.205-05:00Here is another study: seniors in extreme heat wer...Here is another study: seniors in extreme heat were getting hotter with a fan than without.<br /><br />https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/09/160906131440.htmYukihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10858776284518899361noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36405856.post-36196898026998896072016-03-21T13:07:37.249-04:002016-03-21T13:07:37.249-04:00Symptoms and signs of dehydration can be minor, su...Symptoms and signs of <a href="http://webhealthnetwork.com/symptom/7-1203/dehydration" rel="nofollow">dehydration</a> can be minor, such as increased thirst, or severe and life-threatening, depending on the extent of the dehydration. Along with thirst, initial symptoms of dehydration include reduced urine output and darkening of the urine as it becomes more concentrated. If the condition progresses, other symptoms develop, including dry mouth, decreased perspiration, lightheadedness, muscle cramps, weakness, palpitations, and absent tear production by the eyes. The skin may feel cool and clammy. Confusion, organ failure, and coma leading to death eventually occur if dehydration is not corrected. <br />Alex Neilhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07705118629714010576noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36405856.post-83194074856092960212016-01-08T08:03:09.646-05:002016-01-08T08:03:09.646-05:00C G P Grey weighs in: https://www.youtube.com/watc...C G P Grey weighs in: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SCzXZfNIu3A.<br /><br />All he actually says is that fans do not in fact consume oxygen, something with which we can all agree (I hope).Matthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17226758157157715512noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36405856.post-20036212513190644862015-09-01T15:49:39.475-04:002015-09-01T15:49:39.475-04:00There was a study done stating that fans have a pr...There was a study done stating that fans have a protective benefit even under extreme conditions, 107.6 degrees farenheight at 50 percent humidity and 97 degrees farenheight at 80 percent humidity. Conditions would have to be pretty extreme to be worse than that. The study measured heart rate and core body temperature. Here is an article discussing the study: http://consumer.healthday.com/environmental-health-information-12/environment-health-news-233/study-refutes-notion-that-fans-are-useless-in-extreme-heat-696550.htmlAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03273428555141851780noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36405856.post-61239423250644470502015-08-13T05:00:09.180-04:002015-08-13T05:00:09.180-04:00Right. Assuming that Koreans lack critical thinkin...Right. Assuming that Koreans lack critical thinking because they believe in fan death is not fair. Every country has their own myths (in my case: taking a bath after a meal can kill you). Nothing new there. But your attempt to prove fan death seems a bit desperate. That pamphlet doesn't say you will die. Maybe if you stay in a closed room for days with the fan facing at you, it could happen. But how realistic is that scenario? I think you try too hard to prove Koreans right.<br /><br />You seem to use this case to accuse anybody who mocks it being antiKorean. I don't think that's fair.<br />And mocking Koreans because they believe in fan death is kind of a fair game, cause many do and it's an absurd story. <br />However, there are other alleged Korean legends that are not so fair. For example: every westerner I met who lived in China always tells me how Chinese are pissed off about Koreans claiming Confucius was Korean. In 4 years I only heard this story coming from China and never met a Korean who made such an absurd statement. No Korean claims Confucius to be Korean, but Chinese seem to be obsessed with it. I can see some antiKorean agenda there, but fan death... It's just an absurd myth. And we like to make fun of people who believe in stupid things, Koreans or not.<br /><br />There's a recent story on NPR about fan death if you want to check it.Whitardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17686767106921028728noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36405856.post-46163169912875533832015-04-05T05:34:42.779-04:002015-04-05T05:34:42.779-04:00idk if this is overdue or not, but it seems the su...idk if this is overdue or not, but it seems the superstition has blown over - I asked my Korean friend who was here on an exchange programme, and he sleeps with a fan in his room. the superstition has been debunked on national TV, so it seems most Koreans have gotten over it. ^__^purrsorscratcheshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12287285351760541359noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36405856.post-12508393480047824582014-03-19T15:45:54.642-04:002014-03-19T15:45:54.642-04:00The weather channel video doesn't take into ac...The weather channel video doesn't take into account the fact that even in 95 degree weather, you can have a much lower dew point--which means that sweating will still cool you off. Stay hydrated and know the symptoms of electrolyte deficiency, and you can sit in front of a fan all you like.M@https://www.blogger.com/profile/08660191542915234963noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36405856.post-36376078763082070862014-02-28T20:31:35.626-05:002014-02-28T20:31:35.626-05:00 The blog is as much about Koreans and foreigners ... The blog is as much about Koreans and foreigners as it is about fans. gabi7https://www.blogger.com/profile/16570865681023392833noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36405856.post-60045539322445328222014-01-24T02:04:49.367-05:002014-01-24T02:04:49.367-05:00In my opinion, belief in superstitions is harmful....In my opinion, belief in superstitions is harmful. I seriously and sincerely doubt that all Koreans have the approach about fans that the author described. If Koreans said "Just be careful about using a fan in a closed room when it's very hot while you're asleep, it could dehydrate you or cause your body temperature to get too high", I don't think we would still have the "fan death" phenomenon. The truth is that there are first-hand accounts from people even in these comments who state that Koreans they know well do believe that fans can kill because of some patently false mechanisms involving oxygen molecules. "Fan death" is often about suffocation, etc., not dehydration/hyperthermia. I'm sure the US and the UK have just as many stupid cultural superstitions that I mock readily. "Bless you!" when you sneeze? My co-workers do it multiple times everyday and I just have to be polite and thank them, but it's a completely antiquated and supertitious ritual. I don't condone that, "fan death", or any other type of unfounded belief. Sure, a fan could prove dangerous in certain conditions, but there are many more conditions when they would not be dangerous, and based on what I've read, I am really not convinced that Koreans are happily sleeping with fans on them in spring/autumn without worrying because they know the mechanisms behind what could potentially make a fan a health issue.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17802601022988433888noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36405856.post-28539709425494982462013-10-27T21:39:42.764-04:002013-10-27T21:39:42.764-04:00To add to the comment above, a fan in a room is *a...To add to the comment above, a fan in a room is *absolutely* not comparable in *any way* to a turbo fan oven. A turbo fan oven works because there is a source of incredible heat right behind the fan. The fan is thus blowing extremely hot air to the food, making the oven much more efficient in warming it up and cooking it. But a fan in a room obviously *does not* have such a heating source behind it, it is only moving around the air already in the room. <br /><br />Your post also contradicts itself with respect to the layer of air next to your skin. You're absolutely right that air is an insulator because the layer of air next to your skin does not tend to move normally. What this does is that your body heats up the air immediately around you, making you *warmer*. However if you have a fan you blow away this layer of air and replace it with air that is at whatever the room temperature is, helping to cool you down.<br /><br />The only problem would come if the air in the room was already hot enough to give you heatstroke/hyperthermia. In which case, the fan might be making things worse by a *very* slight amount and this would only be the case in exceptional circumstances with a completely sealed room where the outside temperature is already close to heatstroke/hyperthermia temperatures. Rooms loose heat *very* quickly! Santiago Floreshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00793029521026281671noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36405856.post-78453530648521952552013-10-07T21:07:42.239-04:002013-10-07T21:07:42.239-04:00This is a four year old post i know, and i haven&#...This is a four year old post i know, and i haven't read all the comments, so forgive me if this repeats something already said, but I thought I should point out a fatal floor in the hypothesis which is:<br />The use of a fan would actually mitigate the hyperthermia, and cause less dehydration, not increase it – which is central to your hypothesis.<br />Here is why:<br />1. Basically your body sweats in an attempt to cool itself (we can all agree on that). <br />2. If a fan IS blowing air on you then the sweat will evaporate more effectively thus, cooling the body (which is what we want). <br />3. When the body gets down to the temperature it wants to be at it will stop / reduce sweating. <br />4. If there is NO fan, the body will continue to produce more and more sweat in an attempt to cool itself. Much of this sweat will not evaporate on the body but rather will wet your clothes etc.<br />5. The situation in point 4 will result in greater amounts of sweat (and thus greater dehydration) and less cooling of the body, both central causes of the Korean’s hypothesis.<br />Conclusion.<br />It is very possible that people die from heatstroke, however the use of a fan will mitigate this to some extent and make the likelihood of it happening lesser not greater. <br />rowanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17699430273881282842noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36405856.post-58086971223785714802013-08-12T02:36:42.009-04:002013-08-12T02:36:42.009-04:00We don't avoid vending machines or showers, bu...We don't avoid vending machines or showers, but we *do* take precautions. <br /><br />For example, vending machines have warning signs on them, explaining that you shouldn't tip them over or you may be crushed and killed. The floors of shower recesses are textured to reduce slipping, and you can buy non-slip bath and shower mats in pretty much every mall on earth.<br /><br />Many things present risks, and as we become aware of those risks we act to mitigate them. The existence of other, known risks which we already mitigate is not a reason to avoid mitigating a newly identified risk.Vivekahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05830747130609775917noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36405856.post-63447758483583819252013-07-17T03:28:51.936-04:002013-07-17T03:28:51.936-04:00Exactly my thoughts...Exactly my thoughts...Julianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17771534735742585468noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36405856.post-11567639280378561052013-07-12T15:20:09.992-04:002013-07-12T15:20:09.992-04:00Scene 1: crime scene, location: apartment bedroom....Scene 1: crime scene, location: apartment bedroom. Dead man lays in bed. Gaping gunshot wounds on the head and torso, massive pools of blood over the sheets. While detectives carefully step around possible evidence, the camera slowly pans over to the corner of the room, slowly zooming in on the running fan. For unknown reasons, it is wearing a butler outfit.dangerØphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13354573582131907889noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36405856.post-46903523449757586272013-07-12T15:07:21.612-04:002013-07-12T15:07:21.612-04:00"It is thermodynamically impossible for the b..."It is thermodynamically impossible for the body to maintain a layer of air around it that is significantly cooler than the air in the room."<br /><br />You might want to look into the Leidenfrost effect and how it is used to explain the carnival stunt wherein a performer puts his arm into MOLTEN LEAD and quickly pulls it out unharmed.dangerØphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13354573582131907889noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36405856.post-26649568274439695522013-03-16T08:00:06.036-04:002013-03-16T08:00:06.036-04:00I can appreciate wanting to take head on idiotic r...I can appreciate wanting to take head on idiotic racists, but I feel this is perhaps the wrong way. The conditions you present may be technically possible, but they aren't even close to plausible, especially in relation to how prevalent the belief is and how many deaths are attributed to it.<br /><br />Rather, a much better avenue of attack would be to point how cultural knowledge that is easily scientifically disproven are not in any way, shape, or form indicative of a lack of critical thinking or stupidity or anything of the sort. They are present, for the most part, in all cultures. Compare similar cause of death beliefs in America (Don't eat within 30 minutes of swimming or you will get a cramp and could drown!) or even silly things like a widely held belief that sugar causes hyperactivity in children that people will still defend with anecdata if pressed.<br /><br />These types of cultural ideas are just really, really hard to excise.Sine Nominehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03135093870236335598noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36405856.post-67073706924986251412013-02-23T13:15:18.859-05:002013-02-23T13:15:18.859-05:00Haha, my parents who are Korean told me (it's ...Haha, my parents who are Korean told me (it's really hot here in Australia at the moment, sweltering) that I shouldn't leave a fan on while I'm sleeping, or at least not one that blows air continuously directly at my face or body, because this could cause my face or a body part to become painfully stuck in one position. So I googled 'fan myth' when I got home, I had no idea it was death I should be expecting, not temporary paralysis! My parents have never mentioned fan death to me, I'm going to have to ask them about this when I see them... I wonder if there are any other variations on this belief, and why fans are believed to be the cause? <br /><br />Even if there was a minor possibility of fan death occurring in a certain set of circumstances, that doesn't quite explain why the belief has become so widespread/common knowledge? It would be more plausible that initially another cause of death (more easily achieved than with a fan) was blamed on fans. I'm just curious because this is a weirdly fascinating facet of Korean culture I've never come across hanging out with Koreans or visiting Korea (until now that is!). thispicklehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16835013350839366482noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36405856.post-38572672424696414682013-01-28T14:42:01.844-05:002013-01-28T14:42:01.844-05:00Just wanted to let you know (if you didn't kno...Just wanted to let you know (if you didn't know already) that this article has been mentioned in Ken Jennings' (yes, the Jeopardy champ) "fan death" article on Slate: http://www.slate.com/articles/life/foreigners/2013/01/fan_death_korean_moms_think_that_your_electric_fan_will_kill_you.htmlJohn D.https://www.blogger.com/profile/03300592992528506306noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36405856.post-21899283284822994912012-08-03T14:30:08.883-04:002012-08-03T14:30:08.883-04:00I don't know what to say about this except tha...I don't know what to say about this except that I've never seen anything like that ever happen before. It sounds very far fetched but I think every country has something like this. In Brazil, people believe that if you eat something cold like an ice pop, ice cream or even have ice in your drink during the winter it will give you a cold. I grew up in Massachusetts and the winters are ridiculously long and cold there. People eat cold things continuously there and never really think twice about that giving them a cold. It's only a coincidence because in the winter flus and colds are very common since we are cooped up inside and sharing germs. We all know that germs and bacteria are what cause flus and colds not cold weather because you can in fact catch a flu in the summer too. Maybe the fan death thing in Korea is just a coincidence too 90 degree weather can kill frail individuals it happens a lot here in Georgia and 90 plus degree weather is very normal summer weather here.Jbdhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08928260830014710340noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36405856.post-49641410040227159312012-07-29T22:25:27.745-04:002012-07-29T22:25:27.745-04:00While a fan does contribute to dehydration and inc...While a fan does contribute to dehydration and increased body temperatures, has there been a scenario where the presence of a fan was the main cause of death? In a situation where a person would die because of fan death means that person was in a critical state where the presence of a fan wouldn't have been the main cause of death, and that person would've died of dehydration or hyperthermia anyway.Joge Shttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18264338975771882414noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36405856.post-42413368071202901192012-07-23T00:33:00.104-04:002012-07-23T00:33:00.104-04:00If Fan Death was real, why is it not believed in o...If Fan Death was real, why is it not believed in other countries? You mean to say Korea is the only country where people have died from this? If it was true, other countries would recognize it and they would also publicize it. Furthermore, not sure if you covered this in the article, but if someone was getting "baked in a turbo oven" as you say, wouldn't they wake up from the discomfort before they die? Or are all these fan deaths occurring with severely drunk people??? Despite your long well thought out answer, fan death is BS. I'm not a doctor, but Korean doctors have said that it is impossible to die because of a fan blowing air on you as the main cause.Stephen Redekerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15619884524120538049noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36405856.post-60318729211869061482012-07-21T20:00:17.695-04:002012-07-21T20:00:17.695-04:00I have to agree with noe^ and other people. It is ...I have to agree with noe^ and other people. It is nearly impossible for a fan to kill you even in a closed off room. If you could die with a fan on, then you were probably going to die with it off. You actually produce less sweat when the fan cools you. The fan cooling you will cause you to sweat less and not cause dehydration. <br /><br />You relied on these ideas: "Humans maintain body temperature by developing a thin layer of air around their body that is similar to their body temperature... But if the fan runs directly on the body, that layer of air is taken away, replaced by the same hot air in the room. The room temperature might remain the same, but the body will feel hotter." <br /><br />But I don't think these are true facts. How can a body develop a layer of air that maintains its temperature? It is thermodynamically impossible for the body to maintain a layer of air around it that is significantly cooler than the air in the room. Reference please???laproboyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12158643450747904078noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36405856.post-54484489571809336392012-07-17T20:21:13.307-04:002012-07-17T20:21:13.307-04:00I love your posts, but your science is not really ...I love your posts, but your science is not really science. As much as I take you as a notable source of information - you are no scientist. I guess if you wanted to create the right conditions then fan death could be possible...but it is highly highly unlikely. <br /><br />Additionally, if you were to stick a person in a room as hot as an oven, then it is not the fan I would be worried about...but rather that you are in a room as hot as an oven.<br /><br />I hate to be critical, but this post is written more like...you already had the idea that fan death can kill, and you just went out and tried to find information to fit that idea. You could do that with anything and it seems very unlike you and youre regular posts.<br />Just my two cents, still love your blog - take no offence please. <br /><br />-n<br />www.rok-on.netAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36405856.post-51972128420071734942012-06-22T02:43:28.185-04:002012-06-22T02:43:28.185-04:00The thread is now so long that I simply can't ...The thread is now so long that I simply can't invest the necessary enormous amounts of time to comb through it. I won't repeat the very valid thermodynamic objections (evaporation=heat reduction) that were made, nor the rhetorical ones "Fan death = heat stroke". I think also it is well noted that this is but one of many urban legends compared to many hundreds in the US and 'the west'- but like many from 'the west', I guess I find it a little interesting that it is so WIDELY believed and has the backing of many media outlets and even so-called experts. Sort of reminds me of leeches, which, when they were too popular and a cure-all, actually did more harm than good- but now that they are better understood, actually are quite powerful therapeutic agents.<br />So it has all been said before- but what I really wanted to add is the best theory I've heard of the origin for the urban myth- a friend speculated that it came about during the industrialization era of Pak-Cheong-Hee, when government completely controlled the press- spreading such rumors through media might have the desired effect of saving the nations electricity for industry- not just at night time when it would not be such an issue, but also it would stop those housewives from napping with a fan running. The fact that air-con seems to be immune to this myth sort of chronologically backs that idea- though I'm sure it also backs your 'turbo oven' idea. Once one accepts that most of these deaths are stroke-related, then we have to ask, "is it confirmation bias on the part of Korean investigators, or do western homicide investigators miss the common clue of a running fan?" I'm going with the former, but as you point out, without any scientific attention to the issue it's all speculation. Kudos at least for the thought provoking discussion.El Gringo Perdidohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13580432420746196166noreply@blogger.com