# How long does it take to die on a pool of molten steel?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-does-it-take-to-die-on-a-pool-of-molten-steel/691751
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [June 27, 2014, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-does-it-take-to-die-on-a-pool-of-molten-steel/691751 "2014-06-27T03:00:38Z")
**Posts on this page:** 6
**Page:** 4
### Author:  [@Enola\_Straight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Straight)
#### Post date: [July 1, 2014, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-does-it-take-to-die-on-a-pool-of-molten-steel/691751/61 "2014-07-01T21:34:16Z")
I guess we must arrange an experiment…
Arrange to toss a freshly dispatched pig (low amount of fur…bare skin…and similar mass as a human) and toss it into the volcano/molten steel ladle and video record the results.
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### Author:  [@Isilder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isilder)
#### Post date: [July 3, 2014, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-does-it-take-to-die-on-a-pool-of-molten-steel/691751/62 "2014-07-03T04:25:07Z")
> [@Broomstick](#):
>
> From what my friends in the steel industry say if you fall in there really isn’t a “body” left.
This.
January, 1982. Jones and Laughlin, Aliquippa.
[http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1144&dat=19820118&id=HckdAAAAIBAJ&sjid=CV4EAAAAIBAJ&pg=4132,1561036](http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1144&dat=19820118&id=HckdAAAAIBAJ&sjid=CV4EAAAAIBAJ&pg=4132,1561036)
They’d pour the steel out onto the ground somewhere , on the chance they could find remains in the slag, but then they’d put lumps of steel back into the process -as if it was scrap to be recycled.
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### Author:  [@Artemis\_Tardis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Artemis_Tardis)
#### Post date: [July 3, 2014, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-does-it-take-to-die-on-a-pool-of-molten-steel/691751/63 "2014-07-03T04:46:21Z")
> [@Isilder](#):
>
> This.
> January, 1982. Jones and Laughlin, Aliquippa.
>
> [The Pittsburgh Press - Google News Archive Search](http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1144&dat=19820118&id=HckdAAAAIBAJ&sjid=CV4EAAAAIBAJ&pg=4132,1561036)
> They’d pour the steel out onto the ground somewhere , on the chance they could find remains in the slag, but then they’d put lumps of steel back into the process -as if it was scrap to be recycled.
Do you know what would be ironic? If the family of this poor fellow bought silverware with a steel part contaminated with his dead body.
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### Author:  [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)
#### Post date: [July 4, 2014, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-does-it-take-to-die-on-a-pool-of-molten-steel/691751/64 "2014-07-04T14:26:13Z")
> [@TimeWinder](#):
>
> More helpfully, I’ve heard that victims of very hot, fast burns often feel cold, since the nerve endings in the skin are so quickly destroyed. But it has the ring of “medical myth” to me, and I can’t find any confirmation in a quick search.
One of my earliest memories of infants’ school (age 4 or 5) relates to this. They had climbing equipment in the playground made out of cast concrete, like giant pommel horse shapes IIRC (this being before Health and Safety was such a big deal, evidently).
One really hot day I remember being fascinated that the sunbaked concrete surface felt icy cold to my hands, but if I left them there they got burnt by the heat.
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### Author:  [@tracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tracer)
#### Post date: [July 9, 2014, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-does-it-take-to-die-on-a-pool-of-molten-steel/691751/65 "2014-07-09T00:18:06Z")
We all know from _Joe vs. the Volcano_ that if you jump into a volcano, it will shoot you back out before you touch the lava. But only if you jump in with Meg Ryan.
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### Author:  [@Learjeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Learjeff)
#### Post date: [July 9, 2014, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-does-it-take-to-die-on-a-pool-of-molten-steel/691751/66 "2014-07-09T14:27:26Z")
> [@tracer](#):
>
> We all know from _Joe vs. the Volcano_ that if you jump into a volcano, it will shoot you back out before you touch the lava. But only if you jump in with Meg Ryan.
If I was going to jump into anything with Meg Ryan, it wouldn’t be a volcano.
But for those of you considering calling it quits this way, I suggest diving head-first, with your arms at your sides.
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