Spontaneous Human Combustion

[bindeweede]

Sky One, at 10.50pm tonight, is showing "A documentary explorating the various scientific theories behind this strange phenomenon". Well, that's what it says in my copy of Radio Times (page 131).

Explorating......?

I'll probably record it and watch it later. You never know, it might be quite illuminating ;D.

[Araneus]

I saw a similar documentary a long time ago. As I recall, the prime contender was the "wick effect" caused by the clothing acting like a candle's wick, causing the entire fat content of the body to liquidise and burn without creating particularly large flames (which might set light to surrounding objects).

[John Jackson]

Damn - I was thinking of going for that Sky package - £26 a month all in - but haven't got around to it. So I'll miss it. >:-)

Anyway, there's an article here: Spontaneous Human Combustion (http://www.ukskeptics.com/article.php?dir=articles&article=spontaneous_human_combustion.php).

It would be interesting to see if this 'explorating' documentary throws up something new or just rehashes the old, flawed arguments.

[bindeweede]

Damn - I was thinking of going for that Sky package - £26 a month all in - but haven't got around to it. So I'll miss it. >:-)

Anyway, there's an article here: Spontaneous Human Combustion (http://www.ukskeptics.com/article.php?dir=articles&article=spontaneous_human_combustion.php).

It would be interesting to see if this 'explorating' documentary throws up something new or just rehashes the old, flawed arguments.

I watched it yesterday, and thought it was quite good - but a bit gory in places. Several experts took part in the experiments about ignition, fuels, and the wick effect.

Anyway, for insomniacs, it is repeated on Monday morning at 3.30 am on Sky 1.

[FarSideOfTheMoon]

Was that the one with the pig in a bed in a shed?

If so, I think I saw that a few months ago. It's not like Sky to constantly recycle their programmes 8)

[bindeweede]

Was that the one with the pig in a bed in a shed?

If so, I think I saw that a few months ago. It's not like Sky to constantly recycle their programmes 8)

That indeed was the programme. It was actually made in 2006, according to the credits at the end.

[Dr B]

wick effect - check it out. :cheesy:

[blubird]

Yep it seems to me that SHC has been BUSTED!

[bindeweede]

wick effect - check it out. :cheesy:

Yup!. Read about it in my Skeptics Dictionary.

[JonDonnis]

I always find it funny that when they burn a pigto demonstrate the wick effect it nearly always goes balls up with everything getting on fire.

I am sure it is the explanation, but i just laugh at the cock ups of these tv scientists

[Allo Allo]

I am sure it is the explanation, but i just laugh at the cock ups of these tv scientists
I understand it's not THE explanation - but only an explanation of ONE ASPECT of SHC. Also it is hard to make the wick effect happen - takes a long time and by what I read you have to help it along with a bit of petrol or highly flammable assistance. So I don't know.

[Cuddles]

The trouble with all the explanations for spontaneous combustion is that they all assume the "spontaneous" part. While there are a few accounts that are hard to explain, many of them are from third world countries where a troublesome wife mysteriously disappears or burns to death. The explanation goes something like "She must have just spontaneouly caught fire. What do you mean I'm holding a petrol cannister and a box of matches?". In many places there just isn't investigation into this sort of thing and so the "spontaneous" combustion myth persists. Even in the better documented western cases there is still very little evidence for the spontaneous part, all that can usually be said for sure is that investigators couldn't find the cause of the fire, not that there wasn't one. This is why spontaneous human combustion remains largely in the realm of pseudo-science. While there are plenty of non-paranormal explanations for it, there is still very little evidence that the phenomenon actually exists.

This is somewhat similar to myths about anomalous birth rates, where China, for example, tends to report far more boys than girls. All kinds of explanations were put forward about this. However, the actual cause is simply that boys are valued more highly than girls, so with the one child policy a lot of baby girls just disappeared and were never recorded, an the authorities generally turned a blind eye or just couldn't tell. It's in cases like this that I can see what Randi means about scientists often not being the best people to investigate the paranormal. It's all very well coming up with scientific explanations for these things, but you first have to be sure that there is something to explain.

[Allo Allo]

SHC is so rare and poorly investigated – and the only eyewitness account is questionable, I couldn’t accept it as being a phenomenon at all. And the "wick" explanation is no explanation for me. What makes it even more suspicious I think is that other animals don’t do it! Ever heard of a bear in hibernation being found in the spring to have spontaneously combusted?!:cheesy:

[Dr B]

I always find it funny that when they burn a pigto demonstrate the wick effect it nearly always goes balls up with everything getting on fire.

I am sure it is the explanation, but i just laugh at the cock ups of these tv scientists


Funny that. I've never had a problem with demonstrating the effect to kids.......i wonder what these TV scientists are doing wrong? Maybe they should get back to the lab for a while......O0

[Dr B]

SHC is so rare and poorly investigated – and the only eyewitness account is questionable, I couldn’t accept it as being a phenomenon at all. And the "wick" explanation is no explanation for me. What makes it even more suspicious I think is that other animals don’t do it! Ever heard of a bear in hibernation being found in the spring to have spontaneously combusted?!:cheesy:

To what extent are you convinced there is something to study? Why does the wick explanation not work for you?

[Dr B]

PS - the wick explanation explains - not how stuff starts - but how it burns with considerable prolonged and localised intensity.

[Allo Allo]

PS - the wick explanation explains - not how stuff starts - but how it burns with considerable prolonged and localised intensity.

Exactly! It is not an explanation for SHC which is not a thing that needs explaining etc. My point.

[Dr B]

no - it is the explanation for the effect. The only real mystery use to be why / how such intense burning never spread to other localised areas. The wick effct explains this.

There is no mystery as to how they start (usually within a few feet / inches of a power source / fire / flame).

Job done......next.....8)

[Allo Allo]

no - it is the explanation for the effect. The only real mystery use to be why / how such intense burning never spread to other localised areas. The wick effct explains this.
OK

There is no mystery as to how they start (usually within a few feet / inches of a power source / fire / flame). OK

Job done......next.....8). ;D