In a message dated 96-04-05 17:40:03 EST, you write:

> I plan to write a very nasty letter to the campus 
> newspaper and I would appreciate any information 
> the members of this network could give me. 

Maybe this will help.  (Sorry I don't have an address 
for this fella.)

-------------------------------------------------

ATLANTA JOURNAL (1-9-96) p. B1 
 
"A COOL HEAD ON HOT COALS" 
 
"Visiting professor shows off firewalking prowess at 
UGA" 
 
By Rebecca McCarthy 
 
     Athens--Wearing a kilt and carrying a sign 
proclaiming, "It's Only Physics, Folks," physicist 
John Campbell walked barefoot across a 10-foot bed of 
red-hot coals outside a University of Georgia 
residence hall Monday night. 
     The crowd cheered as Campbell completed his 
journey.  He flashed a smile, having verified the 
accuracy of his lecture, "The Physics of Firewalking."  
Walking on hot coals is no biggie. 
     Others, mainly UGA students and faculty, followed 
in Campbell's footsteps, many thankful for a momentary 
means of warming frigid feet.  "It was so warm and 
toasty and dry," said Lisa Darch, 21, of Stone 
Mountain.  "My feet are freezing now." 
     Hosted by Campbell, a New Zealand professor, the 
session was the first time firewalking has been 
practiced on campus, said UGA physics Professor 
Richard Meltzer, adding that it will probably be the 
last, since Campbell leaves Athens today. 
     Campbell began lecturing on firewalking in 1989.  
Since then, he has given feet-on firewalking 
demonstrations perhaps 20 times, primarily as 
charitable events. 
     The trick isn't "mind over matter," Campbell told 
the 100 or so people attending his talk.  "It's only 
common sense and everyone knows it.  There are some 
things you can touch when they're red-hot and charcoal 
is one of them." 
     Why?  The tough skin on the sole of the foot 
comes in contact with the charcoal for less than a 
second, which isn't enough time to get burned--unless 
you walk too slowly, or charcoal hits thin skin under 
the toes and arches. 
     When a foot steps on burning charcoal, it snuffs 
out the combustion at the point of contact.  Charcoal 
transports heat slowly, so heat from deeper inside the 
coal is not carried outward rapidly enough to cause a 
burn. 
     "You've got charlatans charging people $150 to 
show them some secret," Campbell said.  "It's all 
bunk.  But when I'm firewalking, I'm always tempted to 
get halfway across and start screaming." 
 
PHOTO CAPTION:     Feet first: Brandon Kremer of Sandy 
Springs takes a walk across hot coals at the 
University of Georgia.  "Common sense" is all it takes 
to understand how it's possible, a professor told 
onlookers. 
 


