Spontaneous Human Combustion...

[TheHeretic]

http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-0...

What the duck? Not convinced at all, to be honest, but what do I know, I am no biologist. An Indian April fool, or similar?

[Russian Rocket]

I think Doctors are the wrong people to be investigating this child.

should be forensic/police or derren brown




(FWIW I think it is a load of bks)

[Vipers]

Don't know about human combustion, my wife blows up quite often............

[marshalla]

I have yet to meet a professional fire investigator who has seen any evidence whatsoever of SHC.

[TheHeretic]

Apparently this child bursts into flames every few weeks. As I say, I am not convinced AT ALL, but curious if any biology types maybe know something about their claims?

[Simpo Two]

There was a 'gosh wow' programme about this a few years ago. The idea was that a dead body, if close enough to a fire, could catch fire with the clothing acting as a wick for the body fat which melted and then burned like a candle. Hence the appearance was that someone had just burst into flames, but in fact the ignition source was external. No idea if true or just a theory.

[Halmyre]

There's absolutely zero scientific evidence for SHC.

Now, Munchausen By Proxy is a different matter...

[Wacky Racer]

Halmyre said:

There's absolutely zero scientific evidence for SHC.

Now, Munchausen By Proxy is a different matter...

[dodgyviper]

Halmyre said:

There's absolutely zero scientific evidence for SHC.

Now, Munchausen By Proxy is a different matter...

Sadly, What he said ^^^^^^^^^^^^^

[eldar]

Simpo Two said:

There was a 'gosh wow' programme about this a few years ago. The idea was that a dead body, if close enough to a fire, could catch fire with the clothing acting as a wick for the body fat which melted and then burned like a candle. Hence the appearance was that someone had just burst into flames, but in fact the ignition source was external. No idea if true or just a theory.

It does happen, but rarely.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spontaneous_human_com...

[FlossyThePig]

eldar said:

Simpo Two said:

There was a 'gosh wow' programme about this a few years ago. The idea was that a dead body, if close enough to a fire, could catch fire with the clothing acting as a wick for the body fat which melted and then burned like a candle. Hence the appearance was that someone had just burst into flames, but in fact the ignition source was external. No idea if true or just a theory.

It does happen, but rarely.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spontaneous_human_com...

Ah, wikipedia the source of all factual data.

[Morningside]

Without looking at Wikipedia I remember that there was an experiment done using a pig carcass and they come to the conclusion that the fat layer acted as some kind of wick keeping the flame burning.
http://www.anomalyinfo.com/articles/ga00003h.php?p...

[eldar]

FlossyThePig said:

Ah, wikipedia the source of all factual data.

Lies, all lies, I tell you.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2011/sep/23/irish...

Google away.

[Russian Rocket]

this has been praying on my mind and upseting me since my orignal reply in which I think this is a load of bks


I cannot see any reason the child would suddenly "catch fire". Even if there were a bizzare condition causing the child to give off a flamable substance the ammount would be too small to cause this. Even then it would still need a sorce of ignition.

I really hope this is an april fool type thing, otherwise somebody is deliberatly inflicting this on the poor child

[hairykrishna]

Article said:

Paediatrician Dr Narayana Babu, who is treating Rahul, said the baby emitted some highly combustible gas through the pores of his skin, which made him catch fire. "We have not identified the gas yet," said Dr Babu.

Sounds like utter nonsense.

I love how wikipedia already has it's own theory, using that article as a reference;

wiki said:

Intestinal conversion of food into methane by methanogens which when released through the pores of the skin can catch fire when triggered by various sources (e.g., silk cloth generating static electricity).

[Simpo Two]

wiki said:

Intestinal conversion of food into methane by methanogens which when released through the pores of the skin can catch fire when triggered by various sources

And how does it get from the gut to the skin...?

It's no better than amethyst radiating calming waves. 'What range does it have?' I asked the hippy behind the counter, 'about 10 feet?' 'Yes' he replied.

[Mobile Chicane]

You'd think that someone who'd spent a night on the piss would spontaneously combust due to the alcohol excreted in their breath when they spark up their first Marly of the day. Yet it doesn't happen.

[Gwagon111]

I would love it if the who's stood next to me, at present, would spontaneously combust. He's very irritating.

[rhinochopig]

Mobile Chicane said:

You'd think that someone who'd spent a night on the piss would spontaneously combust due to the alcohol excreted in their breath when they spark up their first Marly of the day. Yet it doesn't happen.

Like this you mean