Around 40 people attending a seminar with motivational speakerTony Robbinsin downtown Dallas yesterdaywere injuredwhen a group exercise involving walk across raging coalswent wrong . And it ’s not the first time this has happened : back in 2012 , for instance,21 multitude in San Jose were burnedafter attempting the stunt at another Robbins seminar .
hoi polloi got burned walk across red-hot coals , you say ? There ’s a shocker . But the Dallas seminar had over 7000 participant , most of whom completed the ardor walk ceremony without combat injury . Why did most of those citizenry take the air across the coals safely while a ( comparative ) smattering got burned ?
The Robbins ingroup might say they just did n’t consider in themselves enough to fullyunleash the power within , but it actually has everything to do with physics . As Iwrote back in 2012 , it is quite possible to firewalk safely . A aperient prof at theUniversity of PittsburghnamedDavid Willeydoes it all the fourth dimension , thanks to his appreciation of the underlie physics .
This is well - established skill . The key factor at play are the low thermal conductivity of the burn off wood - wrick - to - coal , an insulate layer of ash , and the unretentive time of contact between the hot coals and the colloidal suspension of the groundwork .
In especial , the coals must incinerate down to around 1000 degrees Fahrenheit , preferably with a thin stratum of ash providing spare insularity . This also burns off redundant water supply , which increase the heat electrical capacity and thermal conductivity of the coals .
And while it ’s tantalizing to require to run across hot coal , this in reality pushes your feet deep into the embers , increase the tan risk . A nice firm walking step is skillful . ( Some say wet your human foot beforehand can add protection viathe Leidenfrost effect , but Willey has found the effects of this to be negligible and prefers to firewalk dry - footed . )
Back in 1998 , Willey andKjetil Kjernsmoof University of Oslo developed acomputer modelof a flame walker ’s foot , and then compared it to infrared imagery of people attack take the air in Seattle . Those image showed that the foot really does remain cool when the stunt is done correctly .
So what went untimely in Dallas ? Probably the same thing that find at the 2012 San Jose seminar . You have to set up a scientific experiment correctly to get the best results , and for something like fire walk there ’s not much allowance for error . Those who got burned in all probability lingered just a act too long on the red-hot coals , the better to , say , flick a selfie of their moment of enlightenment .
That seems to be borne out by attestor affirmation . “ From my notice , there was someone in front of us and someone behind us on their cell phone , take selfies and taking pictures , ” Jacqueline Luxemberg , a player who did the firewalk and emerged unscathed , told WFAA . “ [ She asked others ] to video record for her , so I suppose that that has a destiny to do with it . ”
So should you ever decide to seek a fire walk stunt yourself , call up : take the air ( do n’t carry ) , check that the coals have burned down sufficiently , do n’t wet your feet beforehand , and attempt not to strike too long a pose for that selfie . Oh , and have some chicken feed and Vicodin William Christopher Handy , just in case .
[ WFAA ]
PhysicsScience
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