Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10 beta 3/9/83; site sdcrdcf.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!decvax!ittvax!dcdwest!sdcsvax!sdcrdcf!alan From: alan@sdcrdcf.UUCP Newsgroups: net.sci,net.philosophy Subject: Re: Regarding walking on hot coals; phoney baloney or what? Message-ID: <1193@sdcrdcf.UUCP> Date: Wed, 11-Jul-84 13:17:43 EDT Article-I.D.: sdcrdcf.1193 Posted: Wed Jul 11 13:17:43 1984 Date-Received: Sat, 14-Jul-84 02:08:31 EDT References: <145@eneevax.UUCP> Reply-To: alan@sdcrdcf.UUCP (Alan Algustyniak) Organization: System Development Corporation, Santa Monica Lines: 26 Xref: 68 242 Walking on coals is a physical phenomenon, not a religious one. When the coals are hot enough, the netural presperation which results on the bottom of the feet, at the thought of doing this feat, is converted into a layer of steam which acts as a good heat insulator, protecting the feet. Anyone can walk on very hot coals. Obviously, the layer of steam is short lived, which is why the magical powers of the mystics to walk on coals always mysteriously disappear after a few seconds. The hotter the coals, the better it works. That is why the mystics often insist on heating them in a huge bon-fire overnight. They don't want to take a chance on stepping on one that won't sustain the layer of steam. In about 1976, Jearl Walker, who writes the Amateur Scientist column for Scientific American, wrote all about this in one of his colunms. He actually got up the nerve, and walked on coals, himself. He also suggested that, since it can be shown by physics that anyone can walk on coals, that people who get their Ph.d degrees in Physics ought to prove to the world that they believe in what they preach. He suggested that the graduates be on one side of a bed of hot coals, and the person handing out the degrees be on the other side. All the graduates would have to do to recieve their degrees is walk barefoot across the coals to get to guy handing them out.