Can you explain this picture?

“Spontaneous human combustion” (SHC) is the term for people catching fire without any explanation. Some people just seem to go up in flames in their sleep, leaving the bed or chair and rest of the room unburnt. It’s a scary idea, but a two-year research project in the 80s found that there are natural explanations for a lot of these – victims were drinkers and smokers, or fell asleep near fireplaces and candles. Other people believe methane in the body might be sparked by enzymes to start a fire inside the body, or that static electricity is to blame. Some even say that fat in the body works like a candle, the ‘wick effect’, burning through the hot parts of the body and leaving hands and feet untouched. It’s pretty gruesome and thankfully, extremely rare. Have a look at Larry Arnold’s book on the subject, and do a Google image search, if you have a strong stomach!

Prove you’re psychic, win $1M

Uri Gellar’s powers didn’t stand a chance against James Randi

Have you heard about James Randi’s paranormal challenge? Randi used to be a magician, “The Amazing Randi”, but since the 60s, he has been offering more and more money to anyone who can provide proof of the paranormal under controlled conditions. Right now the prize stands at $1,000,000, and although 1,000 applicants have taken up the challenge so far, none have even passed the first round. If you fancy your chances, you can apply here.

One person who was exposed by Randi back in the 80s was James Hydrick, a self-described psychic who claimed to have telekinetic powers. He admitted he was a fraud after this episode of That’s My Line. It’s long but bear in mind this was an hour and a half of a man staring at a book, edited down! Watch the whole thing if you can, I promise it’s worth it.