The Birth of Cool: How Air Conditioning Changed Everything

Breaking History

The Free Press

History

4.8 • 1.1K Ratings

🗓️ 20 August 2025

⏱️ 29 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

How did air conditioning go from a niche invention for factories to a force that reshaped cities, industries, and even human behavior? In this episode of Breaking History, we dive deep into the surprising, often overlooked story of AC with author Salvatore Basile—author of Cool: How Air Conditioning Changed Everything. Hear how Willis Carrier’s revolutionary breakthrough changed the world. ------ Producers: Poppy Damon & Adam Feldman Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	Harry.
0:02.2	Ah.
0:03.3	You sleep.
0:04.8	Who can sleep in this heat?
0:06.8	Today's something a little different on breaking history.
0:10.0	We're going to dig into a very important American invention.
0:13.8	It's one of those rare technologies that is so ubiquitous today, so seemingly integrated into daily life, that its historical impact is almost invisible.
0:24.2	We take it for granted most of the time. That is, until it fails.
0:28.3	Think you could open the window a little wider?
0:32.2	So we can let some more hot air in?
0:34.8	When you're trying to beat the heat, we think you'd have better luck with the
0:38.8	Kelvinator speedy mount air conditioner on your side.
0:41.7	I'm talking, of course, about air conditioning.
0:45.8	A system often reduced to convenience, but whose implications stretch far deeper.
0:51.6	It has altered architecture, urban development, labor, geopolitics, and even our circadian
0:58.3	rhythms. It's a machine that has preserved human life and contributed to planetary instability,
1:06.1	a symbol of progress and a vector of inequality. Join us after the break, where my producer, Poppy Damon, interviews Salvatore Basel,
1:15.3	author of Cool, How Air Conditioning Changed Everything.
1:20.9	Haye Poo-Bowl and Back La Bebble,
1:24.6	the part you got this next year's model lee harvey odds irving
1:32.3	berlin what happened once happens again when news up is a mystery
1:39.5	turn into breaking mystery history history history history Hi, listeners. I want to tell you about the free press's latest new podcast, old school with Shiloh Brooks.
	...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from The Free Press, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of The Free Press and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.