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From: dgary@ecsvax.UUCP (D Gary Grady)
Newsgroups: net.followup
Subject: Re: Interesting seminar (firewalking)
Message-ID: <830@ecsvax.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 8-Mar-85 12:50:21 EST
Article-I.D.: ecsvax.830
Posted: Fri Mar  8 12:50:21 1985
Date-Received: Mon, 11-Mar-85 04:47:42 EST
References: <319@boulder.UUCP>
Organization: Duke U Comp Ctr
Lines: 56

<>
A recent posting ejaculates as follows:

> 	I have recently completed a four day seminar in Denver which is 
> called THE MIND REVOLUTION:  Three steps to personal power.  One of the MANY
> THINGS we learned was how to walk on 1600-2000 degree (F) HOT coals IN OUR 
> BARE FEET!  The POSSIBILITIES and OPTIONS that this one act releases in an 
> individual are absolutely awesome!

As eclectic and long-standing readers of this net are aware, the
firewalking phenomenon has been explored by the author of The Flying
Circus of Physics (I believe is name is Jerl Walker, but I may be
mistaken).  Without any deep mental preparation or mystic seminars he
simply ambled across a bed of hot coals in front of his undergraduate
physics class.  He has done this many times (as have many of his
students) and, with the exception of one occasion when he got
overconfident and managed to have a coal stick to his feet, was not
only never burned, but never even felt heat.

There are two theories that attempt to explain this.  One is the
Leidenfrost (sp?) Effect, which suggests that moisture is vaporized to
form an insulating layer of steam on the feet (a similar phenomenon
preserves an ice cube on a very hot skillet).  Another contributing
factor may be the fact that coal has a fairly low heat capacity, and the
heat of vaporization of the water quickly removes the small amount of
heat in the surface layer of the coal being stepped on.  (Evidence that
this is the case is found in the presence of cold footprints seen behind
"firewalkers."

In any event, the fact that dozens of people have done this with no
preparation suggests that there is nothing mystical going on.  So why do
people get as excited as the poster of the piece quoted above and dump
hard-earned money taking classes on how to, in essence, walk across a
room?  The answer is clearly that it surely doesn't SOUND like something
easy to do.  I wonder if a general principle can be distilled from this:

1.  Find out something that sounds difficult and impossible, but which
    is actually quite easy to do.
2.  Charge people money to sit around for days meditating on the subject
    and reminding people that they can back out an any time.  This
    builds the notion that they are about to do something wonderful.
3.  At the end of a few days, have them do it.  They will love you for
    it and send all their friends.

I would appreciate 1/10 of 1 percent of all monies you make applying
these principles.  Thank you.

(By the way, all my computer students leave class knowing how to tear a
telephone directory in half.  At least they learn SOMETHING they can
really use!!)

-- 
D Gary Grady
Duke U Comp Center, Durham, NC  27706
(919) 684-3695
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