How do fire walkers actually walk on fire?
Fire walking is the
act of walking barefoot over a bed of hot embers or stones. Fire walking has
been practiced by many people and cultures in all parts of the world, with the
earliest known reference dating back to Iron Age India – c. 1200 BC. It is
often used as a rite of passage, as a test of an individual's strength and
courage, or in religion as a test of one's faith. Some countries have fire
walking in their culture which determines their faith and tells they’re
strength.
Modern physics has
explained the phenomenon, concluding that the amount of time the foot is in
contact with the ground is not enough to induce a burn, combined with the fact
that embers are not good conductors of heat. This means that your feet can only
get burned if you stand on the fire lit hot stones for a long period of time.
Surprisingly, one is more likely to be burned when running through the embers
since running pushes one's feet deeper into the embers, resulting in the top of
the feet being burnt.
References
o Felix, D. (2015). How to Walk Across Hot Coals.
Available: http://mentalfloss.com/article/52012/how-walk-across-hot-coals. Last
accessed 21st Jan 2015.
o Info Space LLC. (2001). How fire walking
works? Available: http://entertainment.howstuffworks.com/arts/circus-arts/firewalking.htm.
Last accessed 21st Jan 2015.
o J. R. Taylor. (1989). Firewalking Myth vs Physics.
Available: http://www.pitt.edu/~dwilley/Fire/FireTxt/fire.html. Last accessed
21st Jan 2015.
o National Geographic Society. (1996). Why Fire
Walking Doesn't Burn: Science or Spirituality? Available:
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2005/09/0901_050901_firewalking.html.
Last accessed 21st Jan 2015.
