Think heatwaves only make you forget your words? Turns out, politicians aren’t immune either! 🔥 A new global study analyzing over 7 million parliamentary speeches found that hotter temperatures lead politicians to use shorter, less complex language—like a cognitive air conditioner switching off. 🧠
Researchers from Germany’s Max Planck Institute and Denmark’s Aarhus University paired weather data with speech transcripts spanning decades and 28,000+ politicians. Their secret sauce? A method that treats temperature swings like a natural experiment, isolating heat’s impact. The result? Scorching days = simpler sentences. Chilly days? No effect. ❄️
\"Even pros struggle with complex language when it’s hot,\" said researcher Tobias Wiedemann. \"This isn’t just about sweat—it’s about cognition.\"
The study, published in Interdisciplinary Science, uses AI-powered text analysis to connect climate change dots: rising temps could reshape how leaders communicate globally. 🌍💻
Next time you hear a politician stumbling through a speech… maybe blame the thermostat? 😉
