How can a human body create such effects on a freezing cold winter day?

• Dec 20, 2021

• #1

SPL

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I was in doubt if this is the right chapter to place this thread, but it seems there are many talents just here.

"we were observing from a decent distance through optics. The weather was frosty, clear, calm. When хххххх appeared from under the arch of the house (he was хххххххх to walk to the entrance), a snow whirlwind-cocoon (!) whirled around him, in which he reached the entrance !"

From this excerpt, what should be the outer parameters of a human body to create such effects on a freezing cold winter day?

 

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• Dec 20, 2021

• #2

Ibix

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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dust_devil, with the person as the heat source in otherwise cold air, lifting dusty dry snow, maybe?

 

• Dec 21, 2021

• #3

Rive

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SPL said:

what should be the outer parameters of a human body to create such effects on a freezing cold winter day?

Nope. It's magic.

Human body just does not have what it takes to create anything even just similar. Maybe if that walk took place in liquid methane or something like that...

Likely, the author wanted to hint some kind of protective field, but in any real environment it's a complete failure. In a cold day (cold, since it brings snow) wind is exactly the least thing anybody would wish around himself- so this 'protection' is actually some really sophisticated masochism, worst case: suicide.

So, just take it as magic.

 

• Dec 21, 2021

• #4

Melbourne Guy

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SPL said:

I was in doubt if this is the right chapter to place this thread, but it seems there are many talents just here.

There are many talents, but some context always helps, @SPL

Is this a paragraph you've written yourself? Or have you read it somewhere?

Either way, what genre of novel is it from? And do you require a realistic phenomena for this, or would some technically sounding handwaving suffice?

 

• Dec 23, 2021

• #5

SPL

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0

Melbourne Guy said:

There are many talents, but some context always helps, @SPL

Is this a paragraph you've written yourself? Or have you read it somewhere?

Either way, what genre of novel is it from? And do you require a realistic phenomena for this, or would some technically sounding handwaving suffice?

No, I didn't write it. And, I am actually interested in explanation in terms of a realistic phenomena. Let's just forget for a second about the human body. What sort of physical conditions might attract either dry snow from the surface, or if this were the case, condense it from the air?
Reverse engineering type of thing...

 

• Dec 23, 2021

• #6

SPL

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0

Ibix said:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dust_devil, with the person as the heat source in otherwise cold air, lifting dusty dry snow, maybe?

Yes, I was looking for some answers along these lines. But you don't this happening in winter time all the times. So what conditions would be involved? A human body is electrically neutral, nor it acts as a magnet under known conditions. But, the dust devil, I think is a good analogy.

 

• Dec 23, 2021

• #7

Melbourne Guy

462

315

SPL said:

What sort of physical conditions might attract either dry snow from the surface, or if this were the case, condense it from the air?

Apparently, you don't get tornadoes in Antarctica because it is not warm and moist enough, so I'd expect the same constraints would limit smaller 'dust devils' occurring naturally in the conditions cited.

SPL said:

No, I didn't write it.

That's fine, but what genre was this from? You're asking about something that seems physically impossible based on text that seems entirely invented (I presume text, perhaps it's from a film or TV show). What level of proof that it can't happen would satisfy your curiosity, @SPL?

 

1. How does the human body generate heat in cold weather?

The human body has a built-in mechanism called thermogenesis, which is the production of heat by metabolic processes. When exposed to cold weather, the body activates this mechanism by increasing the metabolic rate and converting stored energy into heat.

2. Why do some people feel colder than others in the same temperature?

Individuals have different levels of body fat, muscle mass, and blood flow, which can affect how well they retain heat. People with more body fat tend to feel warmer because fat acts as an insulator, while those with less body fat may feel colder because they have less insulation.

3. What role do blood vessels play in keeping the body warm?

When exposed to cold temperatures, the body constricts blood vessels near the skin's surface to reduce blood flow and conserve heat. This is why our extremities, such as fingers and toes, tend to feel colder as they have less blood flow. When the body needs to cool down, it dilates these blood vessels to release heat.

4. How does shivering help keep the body warm?

Shivering is an involuntary muscle movement that generates heat by burning calories. When the body is exposed to cold temperatures, shivering helps to increase the metabolic rate and produce more heat. It is the body's way of trying to warm itself up.

5. Can the body adapt to colder temperatures over time?

Yes, the body can adapt to colder temperatures through a process called acclimatization. This involves repeated exposure to cold temperatures, which allows the body to adjust and become more efficient at retaining heat. People who live in colder climates tend to have a higher tolerance for cold weather than those who live in warmer regions.