We all know that a “normal” temperature is 98.6°F (37°C), right?
Uhhhhh, no, not so much.
That number was based on German research done 150 years ago, with a thermometer that wasn’t well calibrated and used a less reliable method of taking body temps. Not only does the average “health” temp appear to be different than that, but it even varies at different times of day, by gender, height, weight, and, heck, probably by phase of the moon.
Of course, we stick with a single, standard number because, well, that’s easy. We don’t have to think about it. And for most purposes, it’s correct enough to be useful. Plus, it’s what comes pre-printed on all the fever thermometers out there.
But it’s worth remembering that easy, simple, universal answers usually aren’t, and characterizing something as “normal” is almost always asking to have that characterization challenged.
98.6 Degrees Is A Normal Body Temperature, Right? Not Quite | WIRED
Fever is a more flexible concept than people assume, as new crowdsourced data helps show.
