In the sweltering heart of July, Clara moved into her first solo apartment—a cozy but sun-drenched studio on the top floor. The landlord had left a note on the kitchen counter: “Remote for the AC is in the drawer. Enjoy!”

“Oh,” she said, laughing. “So it’s not just about lowering the number. You have to put the air conditioner in cold mode.”

Just then, her friend Marco arrived with a housewarming plant. He found Clara fanning herself with a magazine. “What’s wrong?”

Clara found the remote, pointed it at the old wall unit, and pressed the power button. A blast of warm, dusty air hit her face. She frowned, pressed the down arrow repeatedly. The number on the screen dropped from 24°C to 18°C, but the air still felt like a dragon’s breath.

“Exactly,” Marco said. “Temperature without mode is just a wish.”