Wednesday, October 2, 2019
Can SHC really happen to any of us?
When you think of "spontaneous human combustion" it sounds like something straight out of an episode of The Twilight Zone, right? Well whether you believe that the SHC phenomena are true or not, there have been some cases that have concrete evidence of this occurrence. As you probably guessed it, SHC is the sudden combustion of an object into flames from NO heating source and purely through reactions of different chemicals. In a sense, that does sound like it could happen to us right? In the articles I've read that goes into great detail of all their case findings, they all noticed one important detail: they all occurred within the victim's home. Some rumors have said that victims have been reduced to ashes, yet these reports often talk about the individuals having strange burns on their bodies or experienced SHC and give their testimonies. How does it happen? Well, some theorize that it's due to methane in our intestines that are ignited by certain enzymes, however, these cases have not been found in cows who produce even more methane than humans. Whether it's true or not, I definitely do not want to find out for myself.
https://science.howstuffworks.com/science-vs-myth/unexplained-phenomena/shc.htm
https://www.livescience.com/42080-spontaneous-human-combustion.html
Posted by Foster Marfo (Group C)
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This is a rather interesting topic you have chosen. I heard of the phenomenon, but as you said, I thought it is science fiction and still do. I must say, the article ( your source) is not really convincing or is at least not the most scientific journal out there. If you wanted to convince more people, you should you a peer-reviewed source. However, it is still a fun article, and if you believe in it, you should write a little more about it.
ReplyDelete-Gene
Yes, you're not alone with that thought because I'm also pretty skeptical about this (and finding any good article was a challenge). As a die-hard fan of all sorts of science fiction, I am really intrigued with this notion and the strange cases that made everyone question this extraordinary occurrence. I certainly wanted to explore this idea with others by asking this question and only hear what your thoughts were!
Delete- Foster
I've also heard of this phenomenon occurring occasionally. I have heard that this is due to fat stores within the body promoting flammability. This process would likely need to happen after a period of drying for the body. I do not know what the initial combustion could be a result of, chemical processes within the body are far too weak to cause any major chain reaction leading to combustion.
ReplyDelete-Isaac Collibee
I've only heard about this maybe once or twice in my life. It is interesting that this could potentially happen to a person even though it does seem like total science fiction. The article seemed a little weak in convincing me that this phenomenon could occur and I will probably see if I can find anymore articles about this. Were you able to find any more information regarding this?
ReplyDelete-Brianna Luciani
I've never heard of this actually occurring. I too only thought that this was something that you only saw in movies. I think the most reasonable explantation is that certain enzymes could react in a certain way causing our body to due that. I'm just curious if this really could even happen to us. I read an article in which a man known Thomas Bartholin found a person that had parts of his body parts burned but nothing else around him showed evidence of a fire, which supports what you mentioned above. Do you think this process is a result of a chemical reaction or just a super rare random occurrence? There definitely needs to be more research done by other groups and scientists too see if it is even possible.
ReplyDelete-Matt Cayer
I honestly believe that these occurrences are mishaps that caused an individual to be burned by an external source of heat. As many cases have been found within homes ALONE, I believe these individuals might have had an accident or it could all just be tall-tales that has some truths and lies mixed in (some cases include testimonies from SHC survivors). If anything, it'd had to be a chemical reaction, but...to think that someone could actually catch on fire (from the inside) boggles my mind and I don't believe any chemicals within our bodies could create such a large reaction that would reduce us to cinders (FYI - our bodies is about 50%-75% water lol).
Delete- Foster
DeleteI have heard of SHC in science fiction films but I never knew there were actual cases of this. I always thought it was just a myth. I think it's interesting that scientists are believing it to be due to methane reacting with certain enzymes when, like you said, cows have more methane in their stomachs. I hope more research can be done to determine the actual cause of this. For now, I am still convinced it is just science fiction. Once more data comes out with solid evidence as to why this may happen, then I will actually believe it. Until then, I hope no one experiences SHC.
ReplyDelete-Sophie DeRepentigny
While this is an interesting article I have to say that I am still skeptical as to how spontaneous human combustion could even occur. The human body is composed of mostly water and as other commenters noted, the only highly flammable human properties are our fat deposits and the methane gas produced in our gut. Thus, it would be highly unlikely that the chemical reactions occurring in our bodies everyday would be able to actually cause us to spontaneously ignite into flames. In many cases, this so called phenomenon is due to the clothing worn by the victim which can soak up any melted fats and cause the body to smolder for much longer than normal. This ultimately reduces the body to ashes without burning much of the surrounding environment, giving the appearance that the victim had spontaneously combusted. Overall, this article does a good job at covering a scientific mystery that has been plaguing humanity for ages but sadly the idea of spontaneous human combustion is not truly based on accurate biological thinking.
ReplyDeletePosted by James Levangie
I have heard of this only on TV shows and in popular social myths, but it does not seem impossible for something similar to a spontaneous human combustion occur that would have been caused or triggered by an external factor. In combination with the clothes one can be wearing and fat content, humans can definitely be easily ignited. Since it occurs so rarely and has been mostly testimony, it seems unlikely that we will ever be able to confirm the scientific validity behind spontaneous human combustion. I find it odd how this phenomenon has not been observed in other mammals such as cows and only in humans. If it can occur in humans, it seems likely that it can also occur in other species as well.
ReplyDeletePosted by Brian Lee (3)
I remember learning about SHC on TV through the Mary Reeser case. Like you mentioned, it happened in her home while no one was around. And her apartment showed no signs of a fire except for where her body had been found. The police hypothesized that she fell asleep smoking a cigarette after taking sleeping pills. However, something that I have always found interesting is that normal fires within the home, like wood fires, burn at a much lower temperature than is needed to cremate a body. This leads me to wonder if it is actually possible for the human body to create a reaction inside itself that can not only ignite itself from within, but also keep it burning at such high temperatures.
ReplyDeletePosted by "Meagan Gustafson"