Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site ecsvax.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!allegra!bellcore!decvax!mcnc!ecsvax!dgary 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 USENET: {seismo,decvax,ihnp4,akgua,etc.}!mcnc!ecsvax!dgary