How was refrigeration invented?
The Heat-Stealing Loop
How was refrigeration invented?
For most of human history, keeping food cold was hard. You could pack it in snow if you lived somewhere snowy. You could lower it into a cold cellar. But in summer? In warm places? Food spoiled fast, and there was nothing you could do about it.
Then in the early 1800s, scientists noticed something curious. When liquids evaporate — turn from liquid into gas — they suck heat out of whatever they're touching. Rub alcohol on your arm and it feels cold as it dries. That's evaporation stealing your skin's warmth.
