Spontaneous human combustion

Hamel · Post by **Hamel** » 2003-08-07 06:26am

What causes it? How, in some cases, can the burning only affect the body and not nearby objects?

BoredShirtless · Post by **BoredShirtless** » 2003-08-07 06:42am

Hamel wrote:What causes it?

Spontaneous human combustion is a myth. There's always a non-pseudo source for the fire, for example falling asleep with a cigarette in your hand.

Hamel wrote: How, in some cases, can the burning only affect the body and not nearby objects?

Cause the nearby objects don't catch on fire.

InnerBrat · Post by **InnerBrat** » 2003-08-07 07:40am

The phenomenon known as SHC involves discovering the charred remains of a person who has almost completely combursted, often leaving just the legs. The room in whihc these people are ofund is often unaffected, except for high up objects - it's known for an elevated TV, for example, to melt.

What people now think causes this is actual a very slow combustion of human tissue at very high temperatures in a 'wick effect' in which the clothes absorb melted fats, which then burn.

What is needed is - a non moving person (either already dead or unconscious) a starter fluid (such as split alcohol) and a starte flame (such as a droped cigarette). The actual burning takes a long time - up to five hours - and the top part of the room gets very hot.

This has been replicated in the lab using a pig carcass.

EmperorMing · Post by **EmperorMing** » 2003-08-07 12:31pm

'Hey buddy, got a light...?'

Seriously though, What do they think causes it?

Solamnus · Post by **Solamnus** » 2003-08-07 12:40pm

innerbrat wrote:
What is needed is - a non moving person (either already dead or unconscious) a starter fluid (such as split alcohol) and a starte flame (such as a droped cigarette). The actual burning takes a long time - up to five hours - and the top part of the room gets very hot.

This has been replicated in the lab using a pig carcass.

Not saying that SHC is real, but people have criticized the use of starter fluid; it adds to the combustability of the carcass when reported cases didn't. It would be nice if there was a modern example of SHC because all the examples that are used are at least 70 years old?

Solamnus · Post by **Solamnus** » 2003-08-07 12:42pm

EmperorMing wrote:'Hey buddy, got a light...?'

Seriously though, What do they think causes it?

I don't think they have a theory. It is real because there is no other explanation so therefore it is SHC. That is my take on their conclusions anyway.

kojikun · Post by **kojikun** » 2003-08-07 12:47pm

Too many bean burritos.

CaptainChewbacca · Post by **CaptainChewbacca** » 2003-08-07 01:12pm

One of the more plausible theories (though it isn't very plausible) is that indigestion can be the cause. Diphosphane gas can build up in the person's bowels, and then ignite when it reaches the mouth and mixes with air.

The reaction burns back to the stomach where it sort of "explodes". Not too likely, but it makes more sense than "ley lines".

kojikun · Post by **kojikun** » 2003-08-07 01:26pm

CaptainChewbacca wrote:but it makes more sense than "ley lines".

You need a robot girl to access the Galactic Ley Lines. Those magic pirates are after her tho. Watch out!

Agent R · Post by **Agent R** » 2003-08-07 04:13pm

There is a book out there called "Weird Science" by Michael White that contains a detailed section on SHC, among other things. It's got some explanations and theories as to why and how SHC happens. Look in the section titled "The Fire Within".

Jaded Masses · Post by **Jaded Masses** » 2003-08-07 04:43pm

The straight dope

LordShaithis · Post by **LordShaithis** » 2003-08-07 05:30pm

Suddenly I crave fried chicken.

NapoleonGH · Post by **NapoleonGH** » 2003-08-07 06:53pm

Jaded Masses wrote:The straight dope

wow, when you said "the straight dope" i thought it was something entirely different

Patrick Degan · Post by **Patrick Degan** » 2003-08-11 07:54pm

Hamel wrote:Spontaneous human combustion. What causes it?

In TheAtheistKing's case, it will probably be frustration when the Nobel Awards Committee rejects his mathematical proof that the Scientific Method is fundamentally wrong.

Howedar · Post by **Howedar** » 2003-08-11 07:57pm

Actually, when he shows a flaw in General Relativity. Disproving the scientific method is just a side show.

HemlockGrey · Post by **HemlockGrey** » 2003-08-11 10:02pm

Quite a lot of people spontaneously combust each year. It's just not very widely reported.

Post by **Darth Wong** » 2003-08-11 10:10pm

HemlockGrey wrote:Quite a lot of people spontaneously combust each year. It's just not very widely reported.

Actually, quite a lot of people have heart attacks, croak, or just plain fall asleep with a cigarette in their hands and then burn up each year. It's not spontaneous combustion.

Frank Hipper · Post by **Frank Hipper** » 2003-08-11 10:29pm

Darth Wong wrote:
HemlockGrey wrote:Quite a lot of people spontaneously combust each year. It's just not very widely reported.
Actually, quite a lot of people have heart attacks, croak, or just plain fall asleep with a cigarette in their hands and then burn up each year. It's not spontaneous combustion.

They, in my opinion, almost HAVE to be dead first to not react to being on fire.
I'm a former heavy drinker, heavy. And there's no way someone who's just asleep or passed out is not going to rouse when their genitalia catch fire. I've passed out with a lit cigarette before, in a chair, and hurt my head on the ceiling from jumping up when it burned down to my finger.(calm yourselves, of course that was an exaggeration about hurting my head)

Post by **Darth Wong** » 2003-08-11 10:31pm

Frank Hipper wrote:They, in my opinion, almost HAVE to be dead first to not react to being on fire.

There was an invalid guy who died that way recently at a nursing home around here. Maybe they just don't have any mobility: so-called "spontaneous combustion" does seem to disproportionately affect the elderly. Since I doubt they are more flammable, I suspect it's heart attacks, strokes, or people who fall asleep and can't get up because of some infirmity.

Superman · Post by **Superman** » 2003-08-11 10:35pm

http://www.skepdic.com/shc.html

Frank Hipper · Post by **Frank Hipper** » 2003-08-11 10:36pm

Darth Wong wrote:
Frank Hipper wrote:They, in my opinion, almost HAVE to be dead first to not react to being on fire.
There was an invalid guy who died that way recently at a nursing home around here. Maybe they just don't have any mobility: so-called "spontaneous combustion" does seem to disproportionately affect the elderly. Since I doubt they are more flammable, I suspect it's heart attacks, strokes, or people who fall asleep and can't get up because of some infirmity.

Well, there's my dose of pure horror for the evening. And perhaps a new "worst way to die".
Gaaahhh!

Post by **Darth Wong** » 2003-08-11 10:39pm

Frank Hipper wrote:
Darth Wong wrote:
Frank Hipper wrote:They, in my opinion, almost HAVE to be dead first to not react to being on fire.
There was an invalid guy who died that way recently at a nursing home around here. Maybe they just don't have any mobility: so-called "spontaneous combustion" does seem to disproportionately affect the elderly. Since I doubt they are more flammable, I suspect it's heart attacks, strokes, or people who fall asleep and can't get up because of some infirmity.
Well, there's my dose of pure horror for the evening. And perhaps a new "worst way to die".
Gaaahhh!

Sorry, but it's true. The news article said that he was definitely alive when he was lit on fire because there were signs that he struggled, and that he died screaming. But he was in an isolated area of the facility, and nobody noticed until it was too late. A lawsuit is pending, of course.

EmperorMing · Post by **EmperorMing** » 2003-08-11 11:28pm

So this phonemena seems more or less 'connected' with old people or invalids?

Makes more sense then...

Arthur_Tuxedo · Post by **Arthur_Tuxedo** » 2003-08-12 01:24pm

HemlockGrey wrote:Quite a lot of people spontaneously combust each year. It's just not very widely reported.

This is Spinal Tap. Where's my cookie?

StarDestroyer.Net BBS

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