Picture the towering waves of a tsunami rolling in. The ground cracking open in an earthquake. Fiery red embers raining down during a bushfire.

Heatwaves kill more people than all natural disasters combined – but because they’re not visually dramatic, we underestimate how dangerous they are.

“On the day of a heatwave, it will look very much like it does today. The people dying during heat waves are doing so predominantly outside of the gaze of the public. They're dying at home, alone, isolated, often in circumstances that they won't be found for days.”

Professor Ollie Jay has another way of showing us how dangerous heatwaves can be. In his special climate chamber, he exposes human guinea pigs to extreme heat stress, and tests the limits of what we can survive. He’s looking for ways to stay cool as the planet warms – without having to resort to air conditioning.

His groundbreaking research has informed the likes of Google and the Australian Open. Ollie shares simple and effective cooling methods that can save you money as temperatures spike – and might even save your life.

To find out more about Professor Ollie Jay’s work visit the website of the Thermal Ergonomics Laboratory.

Big challenges need big solutions. Meet the minds making it happen.

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For the transcript and notes for this episode, visit the website. 

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The Solutionists is a University of Sydney podcast, hosted by Vice Chancellor and President Mark Scott. It’s produced by Deadset Studios.

Keep up to date with The Solutionists by following @sydney_uni on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

This episode was produced by Monique Ross. Sound design by Jeremy Wilmot and field recordings by Harry Hughes. The executive producer is Rachel Fountain.  Executive editors are Jen Peterson-Ward, Kellie Riordan and Mark Scott.

This podcast was recorded on the land of the Gadigal people of the Eora nation. For thousands of years, across innumerable generations, knowledge has been taught, shared and exchanged here. We pay respect to elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.