eli5: How come when we sit down where someone else has been sitting, it feels warm. Yet when we sit down where we have been sitting already, you don’t feel anything.

Question

Potentially dumb question but I’ve been curious about this for a while.

In: Biology

Answer 1

Your ass is already the same temperature as the seat if you sat there previously.

When someone else was sitting there before you, your ass is less warmer than the seat so your ass feels the temperature difference, even though it’s a bad thermometer.

If two people sit on a bench and exchange their ass spots, their asses won’t feel the difference in bench warmth. Hope it helps.