Question

Mr. and Mrs. Smith return from their holiday in Spain to England, where there is a cold spell. Mrs. Smith, much to Mr. Smith’s discomfort, complains that her feet are cold in bed and that she cannot sleep, with the result that he cannot sleep either. Instead of buying her a pair of woolly bed socks, he buys her a woolly hat to wear in bed. Discuss the thermoregulatory arguments for and against Mr. Smith’s solution to this problem. (Ergonomics Question)

Thank you!

Answer 1

Our body temperature is maintained by a specific part of the brain called hypothalamus.

When our body is too cold hypothalamus having themoreceptors on its anterior part can sense it & stimulate higher blood flow through skin, reduces absorption of water & thus makes our body warmer.

So in my opinion mr. Smith when provided his wife with a woolen cap instead of woolen shockes can warm up the body but its partially correct because hypothalamus can sense cold from all over the body so he should give his wife shockes with cap would be a better option.