u/XanaxChampion

As a 35-year-old who has lived with their parents their whole life, I’ve come to notice that the laws of thermodynamics have never actually been considered by my mother or father. I don’t know if anybody else has had this experience but today was a great example of how neither of them understands how heat transference works.
 
Being a hot and humid day in the high eighties (Fahrenheit), my sibling and I thought that using our standing air conditioner in the middle of the house with the windows closed would make the most sense throughout the day to keep the house cool for them and our cats. Considering the high pollen content at the moment for where we live, it makes even more sense to keep the windows closed. For the past ten years or so, my sibling and I have tried explaining to our mother and father that keeping the house cool only works if we keep the windows closed and we don’t let the cold, dry air escape outside. Today, we suggested this for the umpteenth time as we’d be out of the house, and both parents would be home all day (they’re both retired boomers that actually have the money to retire).
 
Seeing the literal smog of pollen outside today over varying distances, my sibling and I made a bet that the windows would be open and our efforts from the night before of cooling and dehumidifying the house would be undone.
 
Lo and behold, nearly all of the windows were thrown open with a massive floor fan blowing the hot, pollenated air from outside when we got home. When we complained that this had undone what we did the night before, mother says that “it’s all money on electricity!” when justifying the use of the fan with open windows. If only she knew how much energy was wasted by pissing away the dry air we were able to fill the house with the night before, but we can’t seem to get her to listen. Light alcoholism seems to play a role in knowledge retention, I’m sure, but it’s no less frustrating. I swear to God that boomers don’t understand how thermodynamics work. I’m afraid that having parents who claim that heavy rainfall “clears the air” can’t really be helped.
 
TLDR; Boomer parents don’t believe humidity exists.