Podcast Summary: “What should your ‘Normal Body Temperature’ be, and why?”

Podcast: Who Smarted?
Date: January 16, 2026
Host/Narrator: Trusty (with Chet Nickerson and special appearance by “Dr. Carl Reinhold August Wunderlich”)

Overview of Episode Theme

This episode of Who Smarted? sets out to answer questions about normal human body temperature—where the widely-quoted “98.6°F” number comes from, how accurate it is today, why body temperatures change, and how both people and animals regulate their temperatures. Using humor, puns, interactive questions, and a surprise “visit” from the ghost of Dr. Wunderlich, the episode breaks down science and history for young listeners while keeping things lively and funny.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. What’s a “Normal” Body Temperature?

• Quiz Time: Listeners are first asked to guess the average human body temperature:
  • Answer: 98.6°F (37°C).
  • (02:01) “The answer is B. 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit or 37 degrees Celsius. Great job if you got that.” — Trusty

2. The History of Body Temperature—Thanks to Dr. Wunderlich!

• Origins: The “98.6°F” figure comes from the 19th-century German doctor, Carl Reinhold August Wunderlich, who appears as a fever-dream character.

  • (05:03) “‘I’m the ghost of Carl Reinhold August Wunderlich, the German physician whose 1868 study established the average human body temperature.’” — Dr. Wunderlich

• How Did He Do It?

  • Took over 1 million temperature readings from 25,000 people over 27 years!
    • (05:37) “‘My study took me 27 years to complete.’” — Dr. Wunderlich

• Thermometer Surprises:

  • The old thermometers were long and took over 15 minutes to register a result.
  • There are four ways to check body temp: mouth, armpit, ear, and rectal (with rectal still considered the most accurate today).
    • (06:29) “...there are four ways to measure this: orally, under the armpit, in your ear, and rectally...” — Trusty
    • (06:45) “‘Rectal thermometers are still considered the most accurate.’” — Dr. Wunderlich

3. Is the 98.6°F Benchmark Still Accurate?

• Modern Trends: The average human body temperature has dropped.

  • Today’s average: 97.9°F (36.6°C)
    • (07:02) “‘But new studies have shown that the temperature of the human body has steadily decreased since the 19th century. The current average is 97.9 degrees Fahrenheit ...’” — Dr. Wunderlich

• Why the Drop?

  • Modern comforts (heating/air conditioning) and better healthcare (fewer infections/inflammations) mean our bodies don’t have to work as hard to stay regulated.
    • (08:19) “Modern researchers hypothesize that heating and air conditioning help maintain stabler external temperatures, while advances in medicine have reduced common infections that cause inflammation and therefore increase body temperature.” — Dr. Wunderlich

4. The Science of Fever & Temperature Regulation

• Why Fever Happens:

  • Fevers indicate the immune system at work—body increases temp to “cook” the virus.
    • (08:35) “‘A fever can indicate the immune system is working properly. ... These chemicals raise your body's temperature, to quote-unquote, cook the virus.’” — Dr. Wunderlich

• Sweating and Shivering:

  • Sweating cools you off when you’re too hot; shivering warms you when cold. It’s all about maintaining “homeostasis”—a physiological balance.
    • (09:05) “‘If your body gets too hot, you sweat ... if your temperature gets too low, we shiver or get chills ... it’s all about balance or homeostasis ...’” — Dr. Wunderlich

5. Animal Temperatures: Cold- vs. Warm-Blooded

• Ectotherms (Cold-blooded):

  • Reptiles, amphibians, most fish, and insects rely on their environment for temp; tend to be long/slender to heat or cool quickly.
    • (13:24) “Ectothermal or cold blooded animals ... tend to be long and slender ... since they depend on the environment for heat and don’t maintain a constant temperature.” — Trusty

• Endotherms (Warm-blooded):

  • Mammals & birds regulate their own heat. Large and/or round shapes help keep heat in.
    • (14:09) “Endothermal or warm blooded animals like mammals and birds tend to be large or round or both ... ” — Trusty

• Bergmann’s Rule:

  • In a species, animals in colder climates tend to be bigger, those in warmer climates smaller.
    • (14:38) “Animals within a given species tend to be larger in colder climates and smaller in warmer climates. This is known as Bergmann’s rule ...” — Trusty

6. Animal vs. Human Temperatures — Who’s Closest?

• Elephants have the closest average body temperature to humans (97.5-99°F/36–37°C).

  • (16:06) “If you said B, elephants. Nice. The average body temperature for elephants is 97.5 to 99 degrees Fahrenheit ... Very close to humans.” — Trusty

• Parrots: Hotter at 103–106°F (39–41°C).

• Dragons: Sorry, they’re not real.

  • (16:06) “Breaking news. Dragons are not real.” — Chet Nickerson

7. Animal Cooling: Sweating, Shivering, Panting

• Most warm-blooded animals shiver for warmth, but few sweat.

• Only some primates and equines (e.g., humans, monkeys, horses, zebras) sweat to cool down.

  • (16:20) “Yes. Many warm blooded animals shiver to increase heat. However, very few sweat to fully cool down. That special salty ability is reserved for primates like humans and monkeys and equines like horses and zebras.” — Trusty

• Others (dogs, frogs, even some birds) pant to cool off.

  • (16:52) “What? No, I'm panting. Panting is how ecto and endothermal animals like dogs, badgers, deer, frogs and even some birds cool down.” — Trusty

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• (01:19) “‘This is Chet Nickerson with some breaking who smarted News. Everyone’s favorite trusty narrator is running a low GR fever of 100 degrees Fahrenheit ... This is an ongoing story. I’ll be back soon with further developments.’” — Chet Nickerson (humorous “news flash” style)
• (05:54) “‘Once I had to use a foot long thermometer that took more than 15 minutes to register a reading.’” — Dr. Wunderlich
• (06:11) “‘Mouth? Who said anything about mouth.’” — Dr. Wunderlich (teasing Trusty about thermometer placement)
• (08:35) “‘A fever can indicate the immune system is working properly. When the body detects an intruding virus, the immune system releases inflammatory chemicals. These chemicals raise your body's temperature, and “cook the virus”.’” — Dr. Wunderlich
• (14:38) “Animals within a given species tend to be larger in colder climates and smaller in warmer climates. This is known as Bergmann’s rule ...” — Trusty
• (16:06) “‘Breaking news. Dragons are not real.’” — Chet Nickerson

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [02:01] – What is the average human body temperature?
• [05:03] – Dr. Wunderlich “appears” and explains his temperature study
• [06:45] – How temperature is measured, rectal vs. other methods
• [07:02] – The average body temperature is lower today than in 1868
• [08:35] – Why fevers happen (immune response)
• [10:24] – Difference in body temps/scenarios for lizards (cold-blooded) vs. humans
• [13:24] – Cold- vs. warm-blooded animals and their bodys’ shapes/sizes
• [14:38] – Bergmann’s rule explained
• [16:06] – Elephant body temperature compared to humans
• [16:20] – How animals regulate temperature (sweating, shivering, panting)

Tone and Humor

Throughout, the episode’s lighthearted and conversational style shines. Trusty navigates illness with help from the over-the-top Chet Nickerson and a humorous cameo from Dr. Wunderlich. Frequent “news bulletins,” puns (like “whiff of science and history”), quizzes for listeners, and playful banter keep young minds engaged and entertained.

Conclusion

Who Smarted? delivers an accessible, funny, and informative journey through the science and history of body temperature. The big takeaways:

• “Normal” body temperature isn’t set in stone—it can change over time and between individuals.
• The “98.6°F” standard has a cool backstory involving years of patient (and patient) research.
• Modern lifestyle and medicine have shaped our baseline body temps.
• Humans and animals regulate temperature in fascinatingly diverse ways.

Bonus: Now you’ll remember not to panic if your thermometer doesn’t read exactly 98.6°F... and that dragons, sadly, aren’t real—but science adventures can be just as cool.