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Comment by mint2 | Hacker News Reader

As I posted in the dupe of this -

this article is specifically about regions in “low” UV latitudes, with the actual subject being from the UK. Accounting for UV intensity of your home country is crucial.

Don’t just go out and frolic without precautions just because a study from the UK found sun exposure was good. Their sunlight isn’t built the same.

Mid day UV index in SF is 9 as I type. Compare what the paper says about the UK UV index:

“ The UV index [in the uk], which measures the erythemal intensity of sunlight, rarely exceeds 6 (where 3–5 is classified as moderate and 6–7 high)”

Make good decisions people! I got some sun when the UV was 2 early in the early morning. Now it’s 9 at midday. All sun is not equal.

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Good point. UV in Austin, TX today is 10.6.

Anecdotally, I’m from across the North Sea where this study was taken. I hardly ever use sunscreen. I went to a conference in Galveston Tx, walked around for a part of the afternoon, the next 4 days I was peeling the skin of my forehead and nose… it was painful.

Yes but... not for the whole day. You can still get some sun in the morning and evening when the UV index is a lot more reasonable. Clearly not ideal but, well, that's where you live.

I personally am looking forward to when I am able to be a snowbird. Summers in the northern US, winters in the south. It's the best of both worlds.

A few years ago, we met up with some friends from Houston at a summer vacation rental up in the Traverse City Michigan area. Their kids couldn't get over how late sunsets were. It really messed with their heads for the first few days. But when you have so so much daylight, you don't worry about spending a few hours indoors when the sun is most intense - you aren't wasting any of your precious vacation time.

And then in winter, walking along the ocean on the Gulf Coast in January with only a long-sleeved shirt. For a few hours most days you can get away with a T-shirt (or no shirt). Glorious.

Given the heat, you basically need to start your walk or whatever before 8am. Visited my brother in Michigan earlier this summer; it was lovely. But I grew up in the north. Winters were not lovely.

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