This article was taken from the January 2015 issue of WIRED magazine. Be the first to read WIRED's articles in print before they're posted online, and get your hands on loads of additional content by subscribing online.
Water is normally used to put out a fire, but you can actually use it to start one. Grant "The King of Random" Thompson, an airline pilot, came up with this technique after a flight attendant mentioned that she saw a water bottle near a window burning a hole in a piece of paper. This accidental fire source can be harnessed to produce an emergency flame (when the Sun is shining).
Fold your paper For this experiment, you'll need a sunny day, three sheets of paper and a clear, full water bottle with a curved top.
The first piece of paper is folded three times down the middle so that it can "create the solid base of embers you'll need when you start blowing it into a flame", says Thompson. This piece should have a black spot to absorb heat when the light shines on it. You can smear dirt on the paper if you don't have a black pen.
Catch the rays Use the curved top edge of the water bottle as a magnifying glass to concentrate light from the Sun on to the black spot. A good method is to start close and back away until the beam is focused. After that, it should take a few seconds for the paper to smoke. When the smouldering grows to about 25mm, add more layers of paper and swing them back and forth. Flames should eventually burst from the bundle.
Practise first It took Thompson three months to perfect the technique, so it's good to practise with this experiment long before an emergency arises. According to Thompson, "trying to learn this in the midst of a survival situation will probably result in failure." In an emergency you can also use coloured bottles and less than clear liquid -- even urine -- but the clearer your tools are, the more likely your success.
This article was originally published by WIRED UK
