Originally Posted By: Horus
It's true, nobody with the state really explained why you should let it cool but I don't think it was driven by an assumption that most people are stupid.

I believe you're correct, Horus. Since pathogens will be killed at temperatures below the boiling point, given a bit of time, telling people to get the water to a boil, then to wait for it to cool, allows enough time for the heat to do its job even if you don't hold the water at a boil for any length of time.