I will not pretend to know how they do it, but even without blades, they cool and circulate the air quite nicely. I thought it was all a marketing thing until I saw it in action at my friend’s cottage. It was nearly 100F, and her place was perfectly cool.
I’m thinking of getting some at the Dyson store on Ebay, if they’re cheaper than my big old air conditioner at the lake. Here in the city, my electric is part of my monthly common charges, so I don’t care one way or the other. But at the lake, I get the dreaded electric bill, so...