Thread: Spontaneous Human Combustion

O_O It's my kinda stuff ... where did you hear it? I guess it might be possible, using psychic force, I guess.

Sure why not, we are made of some quite flammable stuff so I have no problems believing it!

The "CandleWax" effect... or also known as the "Wick effect":

http://science.howstuffworks.com/shc3.htm

... that is one proven way to prove human combustion wrong...

However, science books fail to mention how to answer OTHER happenings with spontaneous human combustion that the Wick Effect cannot explain.

^_^ ... I believe it's true... however, I won't go any farther than that...

If other details will be said, I'll say it later...

Originally Posted by chiefblackhammer

we are made of some quite flammable stuff

from what i here the human body is almost 75% water how can water combust?

Original thread, Here - Spontaneous Human Combustion


My posts on the matter-

Being a large proportion water, the human body does not burn very well. However, in many cases of SHC victims' bodies were reduced to cinders. To render the body to such a state requires temperatures of more than 1700°C (3000°F). Even in modern crematoria, which have temperatures around 1100°C (2000°F), bones cannot be broken down completely and have to be ground into smaller pieces.


There is however something called The "wick Effect that is only in theory.

The wick effect theory essentially says that a person is burned through his/her own fats after being ignited, accidentally or otherwise. The clothed human body acts like an 'inside-out' candle: the human fat (the fuel source) is inside and the clothing of the victim (the wick) is outside. Hence there is a continuous supply of fuel in the form of melting fat seeping into the victim's clothing. Fat contains a large amount of energy due to the presence of long hydrocarbon chains.



Using a dead pig wrapped in a blanket and placed in a mocked-up room, the BBC set out to prove the 'wick' theory in its science television show QED. A small amount of petrol was poured on the blanket as an accelerant. After igniting the petrol, the researchers left it to burn by itself. The temperature of the fire was regularly recorded at only around 800°C (1472°F). As the fire burned through the pig's skin, the fire melted the pig's subcutaneous fats, which flowed onto the blanket. Bone marrow, which also contains a high amount of fats, contributed to the burning. The surrounding furniture was not burned, although a television placed above a cupboard had its plastic cover melted. The fire had to be manually extinguished after seven hours. Most of the pig's body had been burned to ashes.

From the experiment, the BBC researchers explained the following characteristics of SHC:

· The fires were highly localized. The flames of the fire were less than 500 millimetres (20 inches) high; therefore, the fire usually did not spread to furniture in the vicinity.
· The body was severely burned. The fire, although not very hot comparatively, can burn for a long period of time, as shown by the experiment. It is further fuelled by the body fat of the victim, which explains why the body can burn for such a long time.
· The furniture located above the cupboards burned. The fire continuously heated the air and produced a convection current. Hot air rose and caused the plastics in the television set to melt.

Most victims are aslo said to be Alcoholic.

The composition of the human body is as follows, most of which are flammable:
Oxygen 65%
Sulfur 0.3 %
Carbon 18.5 %
Sodium 0.2 %
Hydrogen 9.5 %
Chlorine 0.2 %
Nitrogen 3.2 %
Magnesium 0.1%
Calcium 1.5 %
Iodine 0.1 %
Phosphorous 1.0 %
Iron 0.1 %
Potassium 0.4 %
Everything else 0.1 %
(aluminum, boron, chromium, cobalt, copper, fluorine, manganese, molydenum, selenium, silicon, tin, vanadium, and zinc)

oh shit KenX got me on this one looks like there is already a thread about it, oh well

Originally Posted by chiefblackhammer

The composition of the human body is as follows, most of which are flammable:
Oxygen 65%
Sulfur 0.3 %
Carbon 18.5 %
Sodium 0.2 %
Hydrogen 9.5 %
Chlorine 0.2 %
Nitrogen 3.2 %
Magnesium 0.1%
Calcium 1.5 %
Iodine 0.1 %
Phosphorous 1.0 %
Iron 0.1 %
Potassium 0.4 %
Everything else 0.1 %
(aluminum, boron, chromium, cobalt, copper, fluorine, manganese, molydenum, selenium, silicon, tin, vanadium, and zinc)

I would only say just a few of these are flameable and thoes are hydorogen,Nitrogen, sulfer, and mybe carbon, if i'm wrong corect me.