²⁴Comparing temperature ratios versus thermopile millivoltage ratios assumes linear thermocouple behavior, which we know is not exactly true. Even if the thermopile focal point temperatures precisely followed the ratios predicted by the Stefan-Boltzmann law, we would still expect some inconsistencies due to the non-linearities of thermocouple voltages. There will also be variations from predicted values due to shifts in radiated light frequencies, changes in emissivity factor, thermal losses within the sensing head, and other factors that refuse to remain constant over wide ranges of received radiation intensity. The lesson here is to not expect perfect agreement with theory!