How to walk on red-hot coals | The Science of Firewalking | We The Curious

How is it possible to walk across red-hot coals without getting burnt? Ross Exton investigates the physics of firewalking with his bare feet.
This video was presented by: Ross Exton, Live Science Video Producer
Produced and edited by: Ross Exton and Seamus Foley, Big Screen Producer
Special thanks to St Peter's Hospice: www.stpetershos...
Can you set fire to ice: • Can you set fire to ic...
How to make a rocket: • How To Make A Rocket |...
Twitter: / we_the_curious
Facebook: / wethecurious
Instagram: / we_the_curious
We The Curious is an idea and a place for everyone. We’re all about asking questions, being playful and testing things out. An educational charity that removes boundaries around science - connecting art, people, everything, in a united culture of curiosity.
www.wethecurio...
Music: Provided courtesy of KZbin Audio Library

[@tomgray8112]

Actually I think the explanation given is bit misleading. Its true that the charcoal has a lower thermal conductivity than metal does, but perhaps equally important: the mass is much lower and therefore the thermal energy stored is less than if you were walking across red hot iron. The same is true about the example given of the air in the oven not burning you while the baking tray would - although both are at a the same temperature. It is possible to remove an aluminium foil sheet from a hot oven without burning yourself - even though aluminium is a good conductor of heat - because it is so thin it has very little mass and therefore a small heat capacity compared to the thicker shelf or tray

[@gracyjp8408]

This practice actually started in ancient times as a martial arts practice for war to strengthen their mind. This firewalking practice is also one of the ancient Tamil people's practices for worshipping Lord Muruga(Protector and War King). Devotees of Murugan still pierce their cheeks, tongue, and body with arrows and walk on the coal fire bed in Tamilnadu. These devotees even pierce their body to pull vehicles in order to show their faithfulness to Murugan.

[@nirmalkumar59]

Where did you get this info???

[@Raidenmommy89]

I do it on a larger space inorder to increase my speed

[@plokenv]

​@@nirmalkumar59 chatgpt lol

[@wolverineiscool7161]

no, its true. I live in Tamilnadu and devotees of Lord Muruga do it all the time @@plokenv

[@fo9004]

They are illiterates

[@japdiver5090]

walking on coal is done across the world, almost like running across the coal. But there is a country called Fiji, that do fire walking on red hot stones cooked in an earth oven and they don't run across but stand on the stones for as long as you ask them, scientists tried to use the thermal conductivity explanations but failed due to time factor. Ross might wanna try this.

[@gerritduplessis7122]

!!!Very good point!!!

[@krishalvineelprasad8154]

This is true I am from Fiji 🇫🇯

[@faradpack]

The stones are big placed on charcoal. The surface of the stone is barely hot enough. Actually stone acts as insulation here.

[@aryaa3998]

I would've volunteered to fire-walk. Sounds fun.

[@thehouseinc.4470]

Same

[@tanyabrown9839]

I saw a video where someone was doing some fire walking record who had flames going up to his knees and he wasnt rushing through the flames.

[@dpoodle1711]

There is a way mind over matter gets included since being nervous, rushing and pushing your feet down will actually burn your feet. Mythbusters showed this, albeit jokingly i think.

[@wethecurious]

Yes, I've seen that one too. Adam from Mythbusters rushed across and got a hot coal stuck to his foot. As Ross demonstrated in our video, it pays to familiarise yourself with the science and the right technique first. :) Paul

[@ninanoneya2829]

Well im not saying im an expert or anything but i could touch my seatbelt clasp during the middle of the day living in fl

[@rishikasinghai3442]

totally wonderful and awesome video......I really liked it

[@wethecurious]

Thanks for watching! - Ross

[@ngotuanhung6821]

good one! keep up doing this!

[@SonOfTheLord]

Have you seen the show freakshow on netflix? Season 2 Episode 11 claimed that a man would walk metal plates that were between 1400 - 1600 degrees. I'm guessing Fahrenheit. A scientist observed the show, and checked the mans feet. I was curious about that as well.

[@Squats200]

Your feet hit all the black bits with no glowing bits on.

[@DennisHicks78749]

“Me and everyone else are going to be walking…” = Me am going to be walking.

[@user-qw6qx9zr6g]

oh so handsome that i needed to see again the video to undertand what he was saying

[@MoneyRazorVEVO]

wonder if the same can be done with hans

[@WisdomKing]

Good!

[@radarlepposh]

Utterly charmed-

[@aganistpeta]

the trick is keep a steady pace and tread lightyly keeping a steady pace allows you feet to cool off and treading lightly allows you to less likely get the coals stuck to your feet

[@Gitohandro]

Totally awesome video, I love reap scientists that put their money where their mouth is. In fact I think all aeronautical engineers should be proficient sky divers

[@wethecurious]

Thanks! Speaking of skydiving… kzbin.info/www/bejne/pqOaaXeYbtakm6s - Ross

[@Viroh]

Yes, to be credible one needs both theory and action

[@uncipaws7643]

I can't find a "how-to" video anywhere of how to best prepare a firewalk. You need glowing charcoal on earth? and ash around and on top of it? (And you do it by night as it wouldn't otherwise look so glowy ...)

[@wethecurious]

+uncipaws I thought this might go without saying, but please do NOT attempt to prepare your own firewalk. Without the proper, professional preparation and supervision, walking on red-hot coals is very dangerous. If you are keen to take part in one (and I highly recommed the experience), please search out organisations which safely run firewalking events. The company which ran the charity firewalk featured in this video is called "Survivorbility". As well as preparing & running the walk safely, there was also an induction session beforehand covering the science and proper technique so as not to hurt yourself. Please, be safe & use common sense - do not attempt this without professional supervision. - Ross

[@phiro231]

+At-Bristol Science Centre why would be dangerous if I have science on my side

[@wethecurious]

+annhilator grim I can't tell whether you're being sarcastic or not... - Ross

[@phiro231]

+At-Bristol Science Centre lmao

[@uncipaws7643]

+At-Bristol Science Centre I suspect not getting hurt is a matter of common sense and physics. Avoid prolonged exposure to hot material of high thermal conductivity. Then however you pay for a lot of hocus-pocus around it. All that talk of mind over matter, an overpriced "Tsjakkaa!" motivation seminar - it's just not justified to pay the high prices usually charged for firewalking once you take the supposed "magic" out of it. I regularly approach my barefooting limits in terms of rough terrain and also snow. I'm not even competitive in trying to walk farther on fire than others. I want to be safe and comfortable and I am still curious to find and expand my limits. (And how does one become a firewalking professional? Can one be sure that commercially offered firewalks are safe?)

[@GoGoX1]

don't walk fast! you put more psi to your feet which will get your feet burned!

[@beingbuddies5009]

I use a wood stove and can burn my finger in an instant if i touch the wood wrong,.... But in the mid 80’s i i walked ten feet, two different times, in NYC with Tony Robins and then once for 30 feet in Colorado with him and once with a few girlfriends at a bonfire.... after all these slow walks , I thought I’d stand and march in the 10 inch flame of one of the last lingering logs area.... It was bizarre....I stayed for ten seconds in the flame... felt like we are all molecules of energy. To this day i still have fear at the thought and burn my fingers when i touch a log wrong in the stove...the first time it felt like styrophone peanuts....but there was a moment that my left toe got hot when i heard a snap of an ember and my attention shifted downward.... then i thought “up”. The second time I was nervous cuz of the hot toe moment.... and i took my turn before i was ready... did same thing- same type of red red glowing coals,,.,,,, felt like hot pavement.... the third time - 30 feet i felt nothing at all... and the time with my girlfriend i felt nothing, and when I stood in the fire, lifting one foot slowly up and down, i felt nothing. Makes me believe in the time space stuff. And even old stories about people walking through fire and not burning... it was the weirdest thing each and every time....and like i said, i burn my fingers in an instant when I touch hot coals... dare you to try it... the “ science of heart exchange” is bullshit. That’s the only thing I know for sure.

[@tanyabrown9839]

I had a major kundalini experience and after that I found myself for half an hour immune to flames. I actually held my finger/s in a candle flame and it didn't burn me at all, it felt a gentle soft lapping all around my finger/fingers. I'd like to have someone give a scientific explanation of how someone can hold a body part in flame and not get burnt. That certainly would normally burn me! So there is something really about this fire stuff. I've never done fire walking.

[@M5ive87]

U walked on ashes fam

[@LopsidedPasta]

Hey! The Stephenplays GTA Online music!

[@airline.pictures]

did it burn.

[@kozhunji]

Fire walk Tamil culture in mariyamman temple festival

[@AngieDytioco-ih4kd]

Hahahhahahah know i know what to do if a door is either walk on spikes or walk on burning coal

[@a23r61]

Shame the science didn't include any investigation into physiological states or changes in the human body, and the power of our mind to adjust our body. I guess that's the nature of a 3 minute video that 'explains everything'. I did firewalking a number of years ago and experienced how the blood had been drained from my feet as I was guided through mentally preparing for the walk. I had that tingly feeling as the blood was allowed to return afterwards, not too dissimilar to when your feet harm up after being out in the cold for too long. The walk itself was much longer than in this video. I'd say it was at least 20 metres long . The mind is more in control than we give it credit for, so much 'we' do without 'thinking'. Breathing for example. Watch 'The Brain with David Eagleman' for many examples Also interested to see the other comments referring to Fiji and other recorded times when science theory goes out the window

[@josiahpurtee1156]

Firewalking is the act of walking barefoot over a bed of hot embers or stones. Firewalking 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. 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.

[@KyronAlison]

His foot melted

[@thereallyons]

Didn’t see any walking. Just running. They should call it fire running.

[@sampielouw]

Spare me I don't wanna walk barefoot through the gates of hell I've been through enough thanks, so coal mining a bit dodgy then and oil rigging

[@challengecoins4u]

Hindus in south India to SE Asia do this every year

[@faradpack]

Better to wet your feet

[@firewalkuk]

Then there are examples of where it doesn't work. You learn things when you pay for your education to become an instructor that you don't learn when you guess, copy and assume; www.bbc.co.uk/1/hi//uk/256174.stm

[@wethecurious]

+Firewalking UK We're always keen to learn more, but the link you've provided is just returning a 404 page; can you send an updated link? Thanks! - Ross

[@firewalkuk]

Thank you. When I search google for "infinite breakthrough technologies firewalk" I get to that page easily. Like you, the link I provided was a 404 page, but this search just provided the active page. Try entering my search term into Google. Sorry about that.

[@wethecurious]

+Firewalking UK Thank you. Have regulations regarding training for those delivering firewalking experiences changed much over the last 15 years? - Ross

[@firewalkuk]

Sadly not. Tolly Burkan tried to effect a 'standard set' of guidelines, but Tolly's not commercially focussed so left it 'out there'. I tried with some success to create a set of standards within what I hoped would be THE organisation to do that, but in the end came up against its Trump-like leader. I do believe in independent and accredited experienced academic standards of training, but I stand alone in that area. You have 2 camps. Those who condemn the 40 years of experienced knowledge and wisdom but who promote their own nepotistic training with no external assessment, and us. I would welcome a well constructed experiment to test and measure our joint hypothesis. If you go to The Firewalking Centre's Facebook page, you'll see that we can do processional firewalking, which eliminates the time question that usually arises. Steve

[@SlayerofFiction]

Yes, one has to allow the "Ash" to build up properly on top of the coals, which is your barrier, if you do not then you get burned. Zero to do with the mind, other than allowing yourself to walk on them to begin with.

[@Boblox9]

so you just walk on it

[@Boblox9]

And be fine HOW

[@kreketuna]

ahahah show me please..I wanna se your theory in realty ,-from you of course )))

[@universaltipsnas4652]

This is very misleading

[@DANIELLE_BREANNA_LACY]

Anyone else come here from Aladdin?