1. How can Solar Powered
Convection prevent disease?
And then where and how might
convection have been used to do so?

2. Convection is airflow
• Without airflow, the body creates an
atmosphere ideal for microbial growth.
• This atmosphere rapidly becomes inhabited
with “pathogens”.
• While there is regular steady air replacement,
the atmosphere does not have time to
incubate.

3. Where might this have been used both
intentionally and accidentally that is
significant?
• Churches create airflow when full of bodies.
• Megaliths would mimic mountains in their
associated airflow patterns.
• Fireplaces could be used in large halls.
• Temples
• Statues located in market squares
• Hot metal roofs in dense urban areas

4. Where might air stagnate?
• Closed rooms (doors and windows sealed)
• Sealed caves.
• Flat areas with even temperature distribution,
such as swamps, ditches, urban areas with no
surface variation (usually urban areas DO have
surface variation), etc.
• Some days on large plains

5. Argument(s) supported.
• Much religious architecture is actually
sanitation infrastructure.
• This includes the use of metals, such as gold
(in statues, rooftops, other)
• Many religious practices throughout history
are to enhance the effectiveness of this
infrastructure, for example gathering in the
mosque.

6. Some arguments. 1
• The “black” or “bubonic” plague was a result of a
dependency on fireplaces for sanitation, and a
lumber shortage. Overpopulation played a role,
as suggested. Lumber was consumed more
rapidly, exhausting supply. Population density
increased, causing more airflow to be required to
prevent excess humidity in town. The reason for
such a successful pathogen is that the
environment created by this population and
lacking infrastructure was perfect for microbial
evolution.

7. Some arguments. 2
• The dramatic decrease in population experienced
in North America following columbus’ visit was
due to the loss of gold from urban infrastructure.
The gold was what allowed the population to
grow to its “then” size, and with the removal of
the gold, the air quality degraded, and citizens
became more susceptible to disease, increasing
the effectiveness of European pathogens, which
still had the larger continent to become more
successful on.