Top » Science & Technology

An issue of burning importance?

Sure, we all got a good laugh out of the ill-fated drummers who kept bursting into flames in "Spinal Tap," but is spontaneous human combustion (SHC) actually worth worrying about? Carrying around a personal fire extinguisher is probably unnecessary, given the extremely rare incidence of the mysterious phenomenon--but even if you do have the bad luck to suddenly self-ignite, chances are you'll be burnt to cinders before you can say "gotta light?" This thoroughly-researched site looks at SHC in the context of a recent BBC prime-time film that "set out to debunk once and for all" the controversial theory. An interesting read, especially the links to the eyewitness accounts. Next week on the X-Files...

Mon, 24 Jan 2000 07:34:16 -0800