Productivity on the personal and national levels takes a nosedive as a result of uncomfortably high temperatures, says Business Insider. The idea seems peculiar at first, but give it some thought: How inclined are any of us to work, study, or otherwise be productive after braving some 45°C weather? As temperatures increase, the brain has to spend more time getting rid of waste heat and returning to homeostasis, which directly translates into lower performance. This effect is evident on the national level — studies have proven that warmer countries have lower productivity and GDP. The drop is partially due to the sum of each individual’s decreased productivity, but non-human elements, such as crops, can also take a hit as a result of hot weather. 1.8 bn labor hours will be lost to the heat alone by 2100, resulting in USD 170 bn in lost wages, according to estimates from the EPA.

You can blame the summer heat for those time-wasting fights with co-workers, significant others, and rebel groups: “For every standard deviation rise in temperature, the frequency of interpersonal conflict increases by 2.4%… Intergroup conflict, such as riots, ethnic violence, land invasions, gang violence, civil war, and other political instability goes up even more: an average 11.3% for each standard deviation rise in temperature,” according to the World Economic Forum. Intergroup conflict is particularly problematic because it means that nationwide productivity is taking a hit.