It’s fair to say that air conditioning has reshaped our world. Think about it:
- It’s changed the way we work. We’re more productive in an air-conditioned building. Before AC came along, businesses would often see work grind to a halt during the summer months as their buildings became too hot for people to do their jobs.
- It’s changed the way we build things. Virtually every home constructed since the 1960s has included central air conditioning.
- It’s made us healthier. For older people, air conditioning is a necessity, not a luxury, during the summer. And the cool, controlled environments in hospitals have allowed researchers to make important advances in medicine.
- It even changed the way we see movies. In the age before home AC units, movie theaters used air conditioning as a way to entice customers. It led Hollywood to start releasing its biggest budget movies during the hot weather months, which is how the summer blockbuster was born.
