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Comment by hammock | Hacker News Reader

"Eliminate the need for indoor heating" seems like a goofy application of what is really just a new type of breathable insulated fabric. You will still want the objects you interact with barehanded to be at room temperature; and many building elements and appliances are designed to be operated within a regulated temperature range, e.g. plumbing.

On the other hand, depending on the weight and breathability of the fabric, it could see use in the outdoors community for hikers, backpackers, climbers, etc.

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Agreed. The invention seems solid, but gods, I do not want to handle everything with mittens.

Maybe this is how we get room temperature super conductors. Move to Antarctica and wear this.

well what about space applications, or any other place with very controlled or strenuous to maintain conditions? Does it preclude mittens made of the same material, full body suits and the like?

Also, why do people keep looking up when we got a whole world under us?

In manned space enclosures, getting rid of heat is usually more of a problem than producing it.

Not applicable. I dunno if you ever looked at thermos bottles, but they use a layer of vacuum to insulate the liquid.

But I agree, there is no telling where your invention may be used. If method of bottle opening can be used to extract babies[1], who knows what this invention can be used for.

[1]http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/14/health/new-tool-to-ease-di... .

You may be able to heat way below regular room temperature though. I don't think it matters too much if an object has 60 or 70 degrees.

Whoever wrote that headline has never walked from the shower to their bedroom in an unheated house during winter. It's like being punched in the stomach.

I agree on the "eliminate" part, especially in a wintry climes. Possibly it could greatly reduce energy usage if this special clothing is worn. But of course, we already have a similar solution: turn down the thermostat and put on a sweater.

Chiming in with others, my immediate thought was "Wearing a beanie and gloves seems undesirable", certainly a click bait title.

"Clothing coated in AgNWs would feel virtually identical to normal clothing because such a small amount of AgNW solution is required to achieve high reflectivity."

Normal as to outer winter wear? I imagine for say, pants, they'd be more akin to shell-pants for snow than blue jeans. However, it does seem like a prospect for better winter wear. It'd take quite the cultural shift or cost pressure to make people forgo heating their homes and opt to wear mittens in one's own home.

You also want to keep a lot of things above freezing, like water pipes.

Pets also tend to want at least that much warmth.

Water pipes were the first thing I thought of, too, but many possessions would suffer badly from being kept in an environment that swings between (say) -15C and 24C every year.

Houses themselves could even be damaged, over time. Interior materials and building practices probably don't account for wild seasonal temperature shifts the way they used to.

Also, mold likes cold and damp.

Plus, what would be the effects of breathing in cold air all day long, while warm yourself? Not great for respiratory health I'd imagine.

Do Inuits have any particular respiratory problems from living in the cold?

Not that I've seen, but they are wrapped in scarves etc today (source: photos) so will have warned the air before inhaling. Also, much drier air than we would find inside a house.

It doesn't seem to be a problem for skiers or hunters.

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