Thank you, Google. "Spontaneous Human Combustion"
This is possibly the coolest phenomena to ever happen...maybe. It turns out that it still remains a myth as to whether it is even possible. In fact, there have been many unsolved cases stating that the person had been burned alive, and their surrounding didn't have one mark on them. In some cases, even their clothes were left somewhat in tact while their body was just a lump of burned fleshy goodness. I mean no disrespect to the dead here, but that is freaking awesome. I mean, imagine going to what I will call "the afterlife" (since I don't want to start a debate on religion) and I see it going down something like this:
Come on. I mean, how badass would you be? Every body else with cancer, or heart attacks, or something boring and slow. You? Spontaneous Combustion motha fuckas. Yeahhh. And yeah, I know, my cartoon sucks, BITE ME.
Still, the question remains, is it even possible. In most cases, it has happened inside the person's own home, and the person is mostly consumed by the fire. I, for one, think it is completely possible, and not just because it's awesome. But, the evidence is there. Every time it has 'happened' it always seems as though the person burns, but nothing else does. Do you know how hard it is to catch human flesh on fire? I mean, sure if you stick your hand in it long enough. But this kind of burning isn't caused from a candle, people. I could see it coming from a house-fire, or a bonfire, or...well, just a really big fire, ok?
Although, not all cases of combustion lead to death. Apparently, there have been some cases where the victim's body simply emanates smoke, or they develop burns from thin air. (Or maybe they were just really, really stoned. With that much smoke intake, it may just leak out, who knows?) Some people have actually survived catching on fire. I think that the scientists are just too damn stubborn to admit it's possible. I mean, if I caught fire sitting here on my couch with no heat source present, I sure as hell wouldn't think, 'Hey, maybe it was an electrical fire.' I'd be like, 'Holy shit, yo! I spontaneously combusted! Freakin Sweet!' Well, maybe not that exactly, but you get my drift. I'd probably be screaming my lungs out and rolling on the ground. For that matter, would stop, drop, and roll even work?! If the fire is coming from inside you...I think the best bet would be a shitload of water.
The greatest thing about this, is that the most plausible and popular theory has to do with methane. For all you kiddies who don't know what that is...methane is the gas that makes a fart. As most of us know, it's highly flammable. Now, how does Izzie know this? A combination of the movie Rocketman and my brother being an idiot. 'Nuff said. Basically, the theory goes on to say that combustion can be achieved (Yes, achieved, because it's AWESOME) by a buildup of methane in the intestines, and the body temperature rising to a level where it would cause a spark. Therefore, boom! Up in flame.
Another popular theory is something called the wick effect. If I'm understanding this correctly, it says that an outside heat source (i.e. cigarette, candle, whatever) ignites the body, but the fatty acids work as an inside out candle. Like, as the heat hits the body, the fat works as a sort of wax, slowing the burning process and melting into the surroundings, leaving them untouched by the fire in the end. And since all the fat melts away from the body, it leaves our flammable insides all vulnerable to burning. Still, this theory states it would not happen in just a few seconds. So, who in their right mind would just sit there while they burn? Unless they wanted to commit suicide in the worst way possible. But hey, I'm no masochist...well not much anyway.
Well I was going to go over some instances, but when I got to that page, it was just a book. So, nevermind I guess. They shouldn't have named it 'Tales of Spontaneous Combustion.' Liars...ugh. Anyway, since I decided to research this particular subject, I'll go ahead and include the song that got me thinking about it. Courtesy of Incubus. Enjoy.
Izzie
Source: HowStuffWorks
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