[GailandStuart]

GailandStuart asked the Naked Scientists:
   
Hello Dr Smith
 
During this morning's Naked Scientist show with Redi on 702/Cape Talk, the subject of ghosts was discussed. I was reminded of a story a colleague of mine told me years ago. She was from the Seychelles, and as a child lived quite close to a graveyard.

She said that they would notice wisps of steam coming from new graves. Seychelles is, or was, quite a poor country so most people could not afford lead lined coffins. I always wondered if this was not part of the whole ghost idea?
 
As always, many thanks for a great show.
 
Gail  

What do you think?

[Chemistry4me]

The thing that comes to my mind is water evaporating off the surface.

[dentstudent]

Quite - if you look at a tractor ploughing a field, there is often steam rising from the newly turned earth.

Either that or it's the ghosts of the worms.

[Don_1]

You could have a very good point there Gail.

[Don_1]

C4M & DS, have you missunderstood Gail's post?

She is suggesting that water vapor rising from fresh graves may have given rise (no pun intended) to the ghost story. People interpreting the steam for the spirit of the dead rising from the grave.

[Chemistry4me]

Ooh.
How do you know that's what she is suggesting?

[dentstudent]

No misunderstanding - I just didn't answer the question!

[Don_1]

GailandStuart asked the Naked Scientists:
   
Hello Dr Smith
 
During this morning's Naked Scientist show with Redi on 702/Cape Talk, the subject of ghosts was discussed. I was reminded of a story a colleague of mine told me years ago. She was from the Seychelles, and as a child lived quite close to a graveyard.

She said that they would notice wisps of steam coming from new graves. Seychelles is, or was, quite a poor country so most people could not afford lead lined coffins. I always wondered if this was not part of the whole ghost idea?
 
As always, many thanks for a great show.
 
Gail 

What do you think?

[Chemistry4me]

So what is she actually asking?

[Don_1]

I think she is just putting forward an idea as to where the ghost myth may have been spawned and asking for opinion on her assumption. Personally I think it has a good standing. The rising steam could have been thought to be the deceased persons ectoplasm (spirit) leaving the body.

[Chemistry4me]

Oh right.
I thought ghosts were just people with bed sheets []