• Post Reply Bookmark Topic Watch Topic
  • New Topic
programming forums Java Mobile Certification Databases Caching Books Engineering Micro Controllers OS Languages Paradigms IDEs Build Tools Frameworks Application Servers Open Source This Site Careers Other Pie Elite all forums
this forum made possible by our volunteer staff, including ...
Marshals:
  • Campbell Ritchie
  • Jeanne Boyarsky
  • Ron McLeod
  • Paul Clapham
  • Liutauras Vilda
Sheriffs:
  • paul wheaton
  • Rob Spoor
  • Devaka Cooray
Saloon Keepers:
  • Stephan van Hulst
  • Tim Holloway
  • Carey Brown
  • Frits Walraven
  • Tim Moores
Bartenders:
  • Mikalai Zaikin

walking on hot coals

 
Trailboss
Posts: 23778
IntelliJ IDE Firefox Browser Java
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
I've never done it. I really have no interest. But I seem to be bumping into a lot of people that have done it recently.

And .... I wonder ....

I've never heard of anyone trying it and burning themselves.

I wonder if this is one of those things where people feet don't burn easy. I wonder if has nothing to do with the power of the mind over .... getting burned.

I wonder if somebody that is into piercings, tattoos, scarring, etc. would get all excited about getting burned, then do the same thing everybody else is doing and get to the end of the coals without a burn. (Damn!)

 
Ranch Hand
Posts: 1374
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fire-walking#Factors_that_prevent_burning

I knew the 4th point. Time of contact is also one of the crucial factors in it.
 
lowercase baba
Posts: 13089
67
Chrome Java Linux
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
Coal walking has been looked at by everyone from the Mythbusters to Penn & Teller to James Randi to who knows who else. it has to do more with the preparation of the coals than anything else. there is a layer of ash that coats the coals, which is a pretty good insulator. and you don't stand on the coals very long at all...
 
Sheriff
Posts: 67746
173
Mac Mac OS X IntelliJ IDE jQuery TypeScript Java iOS
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
I don't care how much science is behind it, I ain't walking on no hot coals!
 
Ranch Hand
Posts: 1162
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
its physics.physics professor teaches thermodynamics
 
Bear Bibeault
Sheriff
Posts: 67746
173
Mac Mac OS X IntelliJ IDE jQuery TypeScript Java iOS
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
I still don't care.
 
author & internet detective
Posts: 41860
908
Eclipse IDE VI Editor Java
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
Despite the physics, it sounds like it would hurt. What if you walk too slowly? what if you fall?
 
Rancher
Posts: 4803
7
Mac OS X VI Editor Linux
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator

Jeanne Boyarsky wrote:Despite the physics, it sounds like it would hurt. What if you walk too slowly? what if you fall?


It also helps if you usually walk barefoot, builds callouses.
 
Ranch Hand
Posts: 488
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator

Jeanne Boyarsky wrote:Despite the physics, it sounds like it would hurt. What if you walk too slowly? what if you fall?



I think even if you were to fall you could just roll off the path of fire and be fine, however I wouldn't recommend fire-walking to anyone who's accident prone.
 
Ranch Hand
Posts: 710
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
If I remember correctly, there are 3 main components to walking on coals, but I can only remember two:

1. Walk at a normal pace. If a person walks faster or with an unusual stride it will stir up the coals which will burn your feet. If you walk at a normal stride each step puts your foot on the coals for less than a second.

2. The way the coals are spread out. The temperature on the top of the coals (where you walk) is way cooler than you'd anticipate (I believe it was approx. 300 degrees F, as compared to around 750 degrees F underneath, but I can't remember for sure on the temperatures). While it is still quite warm, the short length of time means you won't burn your feet. Going along with number 1, however, if you walk quickly or with an unusual stride you will stir up the coals and get the 750 degree painfulness.

I watched the Mythbusters episode on this, and it was pretty cool. Kari, Grant and Tory all walked on coals fine with there first try after VERY minimal training. I'd like to try it sometime.
 
Jeanne Boyarsky
author & internet detective
Posts: 41860
908
Eclipse IDE VI Editor Java
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator

Brian Legg wrote:I think even if you were to fall you could just roll off the path of fire and be fine, however I wouldn't recommend fire-walking to anyone who's accident prone.


Rolling on the path of coals sounds even less fun that walking on them!
 
Bartender
Posts: 2856
10
Firefox Browser Fedora Java
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator

Brian Legg wrote:

I think even if you were to fall you could just roll off the path of fire and be fine, however I wouldn't recommend fire-walking to anyone who's accident prone.


Well I have seen people walking in a pit of burning wood (not coal) so if someone falls, there is no chance of getting out unhurt.
Also since its burning wood and not coal, more than half of Wikipedia's reasons don't hold.
 
What does a metric clock look like? I bet it is nothing like this tiny ad:
a bit of art, as a gift, the permaculture playing cards
https://gardener-gift.com
reply
    Bookmark Topic Watch Topic
  • New Topic