| Before I can answer that, you need to know what temperature is.
Heat is a result of the molecules in an object being in motion. The more these molecules move, the hotter an object is. But it takes energy to get them moving and keep them moving. This usually comes from the environment. Set a piece of metal out in the sun. The electro-magnetic radiation from the sun strikes the metal and transfers some of it's energy into the molecules, forcing them to move just like a boat bounces around in high waves. This causes the metal to heat up. But as they move, they are also releasing this energy. It will eventually release enough energy that it is the same temperature as the surrounding air. Energy can also be removed from objects, cooling them. This is actually harder to do, which is why we have battery-heated socks but not air-conditioned underwear. It has been theorized (with quite a bit of circumstantial evidence supporting it) that a spirit often draws energy from the surrounding air in order to fuel a manifestation. This causes the air in a specific location to briefly cool down, causing "cold spots" and is often a sign that some event or activity is about to occur. These are detected through thermographs and thermocouples. These are not the thermometers that the school nurse stuck in your mouth. Thermographs are some of the most common instruments that paranormal researchers use. Sadly, they are not well suited for this work. Thermographs are a type of thermometer that use a laser-echoing sensor to detect the temperature of an object at a distance. However, they DO NOT measure the air temperature. They only measure an object's temperature. In order to get a reading of the ambient air, you will need to attach a probe/wand sensor to it. Once equipped, they work fine, although they can be a handful to use at times. A better choice is the thermocouple, which is designed to measure ambient air temperature. Most of them cannot measure an object's temperature, but that's okay. You'll rarely (if ever) need to use it that way. Neither system is cheap, and thermocouples are usually a bit more, but they are very effective at what they are designed to do. But you are in luck. There are a variety of desktop thermometers that include remote sensor stations. Set up the base in a convenient place and set the remotes in different rooms, generally between 50 and 100 feet away. Okay, it's not a perfect solution, but they make for a good backup system and won't force you to mortgage the house to pay for it. Keep Going! Gimme More! Back to the Equipment Q&A Page Back to the Main Q&A Page Back to the Front Page |
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| Why do we use Thermometers? |