Is spontaneous combustion fact, theory, or myth?

Brainy Blonde

It certainly depends on who you ask and where you look. Here are some sites on both sides of the subject. You will have to decide for yourself. Many contend that Spontaneous Human Combustion is first documented in such early texts as the Bible, but, scientifically speaking, these accounts are too old and secondhand to be seen as reliable evidence. The first reliable historic evidence of SHC appears to be from the year 1763, when Frenchman Jonas Dupont published a collection of SHC cases and studies entitled De Incendiis Corporis Humani Spontaneis. Dupont was inspired to write this book after encountering records of the Nicole Millet case, in which a man was acquitted of the murder of his wife when the court was convinced that she had been killed by spontaneous combustion. Dupont's book on this strange subject brought it out of the realm of folkloric rumor and into the popular public imagination. http://anomalyinfo.com/articles/ga00003.shtml The physical possibilities of spontaneous human combustion are remote. Not only is the body mostly water, but aside from fat tissue and methane gas, there isn't much that burns readily in a human body. http://skepdic.com/shc.html The film makers concluded emphatically, 'The scientists have clearly demonstrated how the classic features of spontaneous human combustion can occur through normal processes.' http://www.alternativescience.com/spontaneous-human-combustion-burning-issue.htm FBI Debunks Spontaneous Human Combustion Despite Investigation, Believers Still Cite the Supernatural http://www.apbonline.com/media/gfiles/humancombust/?s=pb_combust In my opinion, it is a myth. For every site that says it's fact, there are about ten that say it is myth. Apr 17 02, 6:29 AM

Son of The Household Cavalry

Ah, yes the 'Burning Question' or do you mean Spontaneous Combustion Films, which started life in a similar fashion to Dreamworks SKG, which was of course begun by Steven the Spielberg. S-C-F was in fact started by Paul Greengrass in the summer of '69 with the famous words: "I want to do it downstairs because its funny and I've got something to sit on." With this inspirational line by his side he began to circle the world for the best of the best in the movie business. Unfortunately he found none and he eventually ended up in Zaire where he discovered the miraculous directing talents of James Layton. They immediately found themselves to be on the same wavelength and Spontaneous Combustion Films was now well under way. Now they had a producer and a director the next step was to find an editor. http://www.s-c-f.8k.com/ Apr 17 02, 7:58 AM

Son of The Household Cavalry

http://www.urbanlegends.com/death/spontaneous.human.combustion/spontaneous_human_combustion.html agrees it exists but argues that the burning is never spontaneous. There is always an ignition source present in the room nearby the victim Apr 17 02, 8:03 AM

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'Spontaneous Combustion'--fact, theory, or myth? What are the chances that a person might undergo spontaneous combustion, and what increases this chance? What theory, now discredited, was put forward as a hypothesis for combustion? I seem to recall many stories in the news about 30 or so years ago about spontaneous human combustion. Whatever happened to spontaneous human combustion? Why don't we hear about it anymore? Does anyone know of any legitimate scientific and/or medical conditions that could explain spontaneous human combustion?

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