I just got this neat gadget from ebay:

It can measure almost anything from -32 to 350c at a distance using a infrared sensor.

So far I’ve made some amazing scientific discoveries for mankind:

• The surface temperature of hands and arms varies between 33-36 c
• The perfect frying pan temperature for making veggie burgers is 220 c
• 65-70c is the optimal temperature a slice of pizza
• A sleeping ferret only has a temperature of 28c, thanks to good insulating fur
• The thermometer can be used to detect sleeping ferrets (there are lots of blankets in the living room)
• The mean temperature difference between the floor and ceiling in my apartment is 2.2c
• Driving at 80 km/h on a motorcycle a cold spring night gives your legs a surface temperature of 16 c (full riding gear).
• The paint from a can of spray paint (the kind used for cars/motorcycles) is quite cold: 0-1 c
• When using quick epoxy, the chemical reaction from mixing the base and primer makes the epoxy 35 c (in a 14 c ambient temperature).

Tapwater temperature

To figure out how to make squash at the optimal temperature, one needs to let the water run for a bit to get cold, but how long?

I measured the temperature in 100 ml increments, showing that the water will at first have the room temperature of the kitchen, followed by the room temperature of the basement before reaching the optimal 4-5 c temperature (temperature in the ground). This took around 8 liters (or 15 seconds), but will of course vary from building to building.