Small Thermal Sensations
//Sutra Leaf in Tibetan script// Mongolia 18th century.
Sutra Leaf in Tibetan script Mongolia 18th century.

Definition: Any mild perception of heat that happens in routine human activity is called a small thermal sensation. Small thermal sensations are described using words like; warm, cool, balmy, tepid, chilly, lukewarm, etc. They are similar to the reference sensation of touching a living human body.

MS02(detail).jpg
By the third hypothesis, the reference experience for a small thermal sensation is touching steam. So to make a binary description of a small thermal sensation, compare it to touching steam. Report the result using one of the following algebraic statements.
  • If the two experiences are not comparable, then say that the sensation is not a small thermal sensation and express this as

\mbox{\fontsize{14}{18}\selectfont $ \delta_{t}=0 $}

  • If the sensation is like touching steam, then say that it is warm. Express this as

\mbox{\fontsize{14}{18}\selectfont $ \delta_{t}=+1 $}

  • If the sensation is not like touching steam, then say that it is cool and that

\mbox{\fontsize{14}{18}\selectfont $ \delta_{t}=-1 $}

  • If it is both like and not-like touching steam, then say that it is a composite sensation and that

\mbox{\fontsize{14}{18}\selectfont $ -1 < \delta_{t} <1 $}


Page tags: cool small steam thermal warm
page_revision: 98, last_edited: 1279309297|%e %b %Y, %H:%M %Z (%O ago)
EditTags History Files Print Site tools+ Options
Unless otherwise stated, the content of this page is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 License