Discussion keeps the world turning This is Roundtable In 45 degree heat,
air conditioning is a luxury millions simply cannot reach.
So researchers at the Beijing Institute of Technology are building something that you wear instead.
Roundtable's Yushan sits down with Ji Wenjie and Fu Ying,
two members of the team behind a cooling vest that could change who survives the heat and who gets left behind.
We are live from our studios here in Beijing.
This is Roundtable.
I'm Steve Hatherly, and I thank you very much for joining us today.
For the show, I'm with Yuxin and Guoyang.
First up, during a heat wave, the most obvious solution is simple.
You just turn on the AC, right?
But what if you can't?
Think of sanitation workers or construction workers doing physically demanding jobs in 45 degree temperatures.
Or older people who may face health complications from spending too much time in heavily air-conditioned environments.
Or a family in Paris that simply can't install an AC because of the cost or administrative hurdles.
For all of the cases above, staying cool isn't as simple as turning down the thermostat.
Around the world are looking for alternatives.
One team at the Beijing Institute of Technology is developing a cooling vest that could tackle
some of the long-standing problems with this kind of wearable technology, including cost,
and crucially, how long and how effectively it can keep you cool.