Death by spontaneous combustion?

[Someone123]

In the documentary of the spectacular rock band Spinal Tap there is a minute long clip that explains death by spontaneous combustion, in which there is a flash of green light and then an explosion and then all that is left is a little green globule. This sounds like a very nice method if I could figure out how to do it. The title of the clip on youtube is "Death by Spontaneous Combustion" - search by "Death by Spontaneous Combustion Spinal Tap".

 

[Snake of Eden]

I thought it is a myth or an urban legend

 

[Someone123]

I thought it is a myth or an urban legend

Of course it is a mainly a myth or urban legend, it's a bit of a humorous post, but there are some instances where is appears to be the case, though it is not as dramatic as described above. Wikipedia describes cases where it has appeared to happen and it usually has certain common elements- the person is usually a chronic alcoholic, some lighted substance actually came in contact with the body(maybe a cigarette), the person is usually an elderly female, the hands and feet usually fall off, there is very little damage to a person's clothing, and the combustion of the body has left a residue of greasy and fetid ashes which are very offensive in odour, so it is not completely a myth or urban legend, but it is close.

 

[smikey23]

crazy stuff, but the kind of thing that makes life fascinating enough to want to hang out for awhile longer..

 

[Elegy]

I suspect spontaneous combustion only occurs if you drink vodka for 40 years straight, until your ABV reaches 1000%, and then spark up a cigarette. POOF!

 

[Snake of Eden]

We have folklore ancient stories of wicked people who combusted spontaneously like some soldier who snatched a new born baby from his mother and smashed it into a wall while the mother was watching. It was said because of his action he took an express ticket to hell so he combusted instantly

 

[D&D]

We have folklore ancient stories of wicked people who combusted spontaneously like some soldier who snatched a new born baby from his mother and smashed it into a wall while the mother was watching. It was said because of his action he took an express ticket to hell so he combusted instantly

I have heard a very similar folk stories when I was a kid ... if you do not mind me asking - what part of the world you are from? Of course you do not have to answer unless you want to.

 

[Snake of Eden]

I have heard a very similar folk stories when I was a kid ... if you do not mind me asking - what part of the world you are from? Of course you do not have to answer unless you want to.

Middle east

 

[Chiisai]

In the documentary of the spectacular rock band Spinal Tap there is a minute long clip that explains death by spontaneous combustion, in which there is a flash of green light and then an explosion and then all that is left is a little green globule. This sounds like a very nice method if I could figure out how to do it. The title of the clip on youtube is "Death by Spontaneous Combustion" - search by "Death by Spontaneous Combustion Spinal Tap".

Oh I shudder at the thought of being burned alive but I have read about this and come across that the cases happened when the victims where unconscious.

Of course it is a mainly a myth or urban legend, it's a bit of a humorous post, but there are some instances where is appears to be the case, though it is not as dramatic as described above. Wikipedia describes cases where it has appeared to happen and it usually has certain common elements- the person is usually a chronic alcoholic, some lighted substance actually came in contact with the body(maybe a cigarette), the person is usually an elderly female, the hands and feet usually fall off, there is very little damage to a person's clothing, and the combustion of the body has left a residue of greasy and fetid ashes which are very offensive in odour, so it is not completely a myth or urban legend, but it is close.

Well it is possible in theory. Grease fires happen when oil, fat, or grease gets too hot that it ignites and well, we have fat in our bodies and we absorb alcohol in too plus we have methane gas. So to simulate how grease fires happen, the fat must be close to a heat source that is hot enough to ignite it.