Does a fan cool the parts of a room it's not pointing at?

[Demian]

I.e. if a fan points directly at me, does it reduce the temperature for other people in the room not directly in the path of the airflow?

Thanks.

[squarebear]

A fan only redistributes air. In fact the motor actually generates more heat and so the temperature rises.

[ChuckFickens]

What's "A room"?

it will make a huge difference to the answer if it's a L shaped room 60feet long in either axis, or if it's a 6foot square box room?

[Sqad]

When you are hot, there is a very thin layer of moisture, sometimes imperceptible over your body and it is this layer tat makes you feel hot. A fan directed towards you produces an air flow that vaporises that layer of sweat, making YOU feel cooler but not the rest of the room.
In direct answer to your question, other people in the room would not feel any cooler, as the fan would not reduce the room temperature.

[gingejbee]

A fan does not cool, it just moves the air around faster. You feel cooler because of increased evaporation of surface moisture (sweat) from your skin. So a themometer would not register a lower temperature.

[ChuckFickens]

But (in addition to sqads answer) if it was a very small room the fan could create an airflow in other parts of the room making people feel cooler even if the fan wasn't pointed at them

[Sqad]

chuck...true....a very small room.

[gingejbee]

They would feel cooler, but the measured temp. would not be lower.

[jomifl]

Did anyone specify the size of the fan?

[Demian]

Thanks for all the answers. To reply to the questions, it's a huge room, and the fan's blades are around 36in in diameter.

[jomifl]

If it is a real fan in a real room then place the fan near the middle of the longest wall, pointing parallel with it. This will probably ensure the best circulation of air for maximum overall cooling but you will have to experiment as the shape of the room and objects in it will have an influence too.