As Europe bakes in a brutal summer heatwave, thousands upon thousands of the continent’s air conditioners will be working hard to provide much-needed refuge from soaring temperatures and stifling humidity. Many of us spend large amounts of the summer in air-conditioned environments, but as these devices pump out refreshingly chilly air for months on end, they can also become a source of illness.

“Sick building syndrome” is caused by exposure to faulty, dirty or poorly maintained air conditioners, and consists mainly of flu-like symptoms – cough, fatigue, congestion, and so on. Microbiologist Primrose Freestone has taken a look at the research into this set of symptoms, and offers some invaluable advice on how to avoid it. Her article may even compel you, as it did me, to pop the hood on your air con, take a quick look inside, and promptly book a professional clean.

While the local beach may beckon in the summer months, much of Europe will also be spending plenty of time at home, sheltering from the midday heat with friends, family, a (hopefully well-maintained) air conditioner and some form of entertainment. Board games are a staple of indoors holiday activities, but our choice of game goes far beyond momentary fun. As Xavier Rubio-Campillo explains, classic and modern board games can teach us very different ways of looking at economics, underscoring how humans learn not just information, but also values through play.

And if you’re taking a flight this summer, you’ll be treated to the universal experience of a windowless room full of trundling conveyor belts, beeping machinery and an air of brisk suspicion. Far from being an arbitrary set of hurdles, Emmanuel Carré argues that airport security is carefully designed to be an egalitarian limbo, one that transforms millions of people – parents, tourists and executives alike – from temporary suspects into “reintegrated” travellers. Take a look at his anthropological deep dive here.