# human spontaneous combustion **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 17, 1999, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/human-spontaneous-combustion/3309 "1999-09-17T01:33:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Cardinal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cardinal/32/4000_2.png) [@Cardinal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cardinal)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 1999, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/human-spontaneous-combustion/3309/1 "1999-09-17T01:33:00Z")
I know Cecil has addressed this, but I can’t find it on the search engine. Does anyone know where it is? ---
**Author:** ![jazzmine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jazzmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jazzmine)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 1999, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/human-spontaneous-combustion/3309/2 "1999-09-17T01:47:00Z")
[http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1\_205b.html](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1_205b.html) trisha ---
**Author:** ![realm505](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e5b9ba/32.png) [@realm505](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/realm505)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 1999, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/human-spontaneous-combustion/3309/3 "1999-09-17T01:48:00Z")
## Yea, Uncie Cecil did do that subject. but you are going to browse… err, buy the book to find the answer. It’s the “More of the Straight Dope” spontaneous human combustion, update on, 297-99 youll find the answer there ---
**Author:** ![realm505](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e5b9ba/32.png) [@realm505](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/realm505)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 1999, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/human-spontaneous-combustion/3309/4 "1999-09-17T01:50:00Z")
or you can cheek the site jazzmine posted. sheshh, ---
**Author:** ![jazzmine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jazzmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jazzmine)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 1999, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/human-spontaneous-combustion/3309/5 "1999-09-17T01:52:00Z")
_blowing a kiss to realm505_😉 ---
**Author:** ![SkeptiJess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea666f/32.png) [@SkeptiJess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SkeptiJess)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 1999, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/human-spontaneous-combustion/3309/6 "1999-09-17T14:38:00Z")
In case you want more info, here is a link to the entry on SHC in The Skeptic’s Dictionary: [http://www.skepdic.com/shc.html](http://www.skepdic.com/shc.html) And, if you’re _still_ interested, I highly recommend _Secrets of the Supernatural_ by Joe Nickell. This excellent and interesting book includes a detailed chapter on SHC. IIRC (I lent my copy of the book to a credulous relative and she hasn’t given it back yet), Nickell includes a list of important cases of so-called SHC and debunks them pretty thouroughly. Grisly but fascinating. A&E channel also had a pretty good SHC special a few months ago. A couple of Brit firefighters had performed some experiments on a pig to prove the “wick effect.” Ick. Anyway, keep an eye on your cable listings, maybe A&E’ll repeat it soon. * * * ``` Jess ``` Full of 'satiable curtiosity ---
**Author:** ![pluto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f08c70/32.png) [@pluto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pluto)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 1999, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/human-spontaneous-combustion/3309/7 "1999-09-17T22:11:00Z")
## And everyone should read _Bleak House_ by Charles Dickens. Just because it is a good book, not because SHC is an integral part of the plot. “non sunt multiplicanda entia praeter necessitatem” – William of Ockham ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 1999, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/human-spontaneous-combustion/3309/8 "1999-09-18T01:39:00Z")
> [@](#): > > Jess > Member posted 09-17-1999 09:38 AM > ---------------------------------------------…A&E channel also had a pretty good SHC special a few months ago. A couple of Brit firefighters had performed some experiments on a pig to prove the “wick effect.” Ick. Anyway, keep an eye on your cable listings, maybe A&E’ll repeat it soon. I thought it was **excellent**. As the slow burn continued for hours, even the bones were reduced to ashes, just like supposed SHC. But it was on the Discovery Channel. The narrator was Jonathan Pryce. Try Thursday nights. ---
**Author:** ![Babar714](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/779978/32.png) [@Babar714](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babar714)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 1999, 8:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/human-spontaneous-combustion/3309/9 "1999-09-18T08:09:00Z")
I still say there’s a serial killer loose with a blow-torch. ---
**Author:** ![SkeptiJess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea666f/32.png) [@SkeptiJess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SkeptiJess)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 1999, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/human-spontaneous-combustion/3309/10 "1999-09-19T04:24:00Z")
My bad, Zig – I get A&E and Discovey confused all the time. Sorry! 🙂 * * * ``` Jess ``` Full of 'satiable curtiosity