 People were really, really excited about this. It was a big deal that there was this national experiment that had come to Austin. On opening day, people toured these homes of the future. Barbecue was served from a covered wagon. That summer, Charlene Zimmerman and her family moved in. We had all kind of gizmos set up throughout the house. Gizmos that recorded data, like temperature. Researchers also asked families how living in A.C. affected their general mood and sleeping patterns.