Is spontaneous human combustion real? If so...?

Question

If so...how many recorded cases are there of it?

Answer 1

i watched a really interesting documentary on spontaneous combustion actually. the most outrageous explanation of SC was the theory of pyrotrons, which is a bunch of crock. it states that there are tiny particles, similar to electrons, but smaller, that float through the air and attack the small spaces left between electrons. when they imbed themselves, that is when SC happens. like i said, bullocks.
spontaneous combustion isnt really spontaneous. every reported case of SC has involved a smoker. the way the investigators think most happened was the victim fell asleep with a lit cigarette, and burned to death. they also explain why the victim couldnt feel it. it was called the wick effect.
take a candle. it has tons of energy to burn, fuel if you will. all of the victims had fuel, ie, fat, that burned. and the wick for the victims was either their clothing, or their bedding, depending on where it occured.
it is a really cool documentary. i believe it was on the dicovery channel. you should look it up

Answer 2

If there are any recorded cases of people spontaneously combusting, it's probably because they don't know how they were set on fire~ including the combustion of clothes and similar items under dry and very hot weather conditions. The reason the human body can't cause itself to combust is this;

Even if the amount of heat the cells that make up your body could set you on fire, it won't because the mitochondria and metabolic pathways that break down sugar for energy and produce heat as a byproduct don't go fast enough to create this much temperature. There are a few compounds that will cause human cells to "overproduce" heat, this will lead to the cells (and the person) dying at some temperature in between 37 C and 50 C. (Water boils at 100 C) and so there's no way that a person at 50 C would even be on fire. At this point since the person would be dead they would also stop breathing and metabolism would stop without ever nearing the temperature required for a human body to combust.

Answer 3

Damn good question. Lots of people arguing on both sides, but no really good, definitive evidence that I've ever heard about.


Doug

Answer 4

No, it's not real, just Hollywood fantasy.

Answer 5

No it is scientifically impossible.. or so says my Chem teacher...

Answer 6

There have been hundreds of cases. It is real. Please see my references.