# Hotter than the Dickens

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-disappearing-spoon-a-science-history-podcast-with-sam-kean-550844/hotter-than-the-dickens
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-disappearing-spoon-a-science-history-podcast-with-sam-kean-550844/hotter-than-the-dickens.md
Podcast: [The Disappearing Spoon: a science history podcast with Sam Kean](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-disappearing-spoon-a-science-history-podcast-with-sam-kean-550844)
Published: 2025-05-20T13:09:00+00:00
Episode link: https://samkean.com/podcast/
Audio file: https://audio2.redcircle.com/episodes/3eea75fa-1d5d-47db-a1d8-3a9581715855/stream.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/the-disappearing-spoon-a-science-history-podcast-with-sam-kean-550844/episodes/hotter-than-the-dickens
Duration seconds: 1087

## Resource

When Charles Dickens published Bleak House in 1852, he included a scene where one character spontaneously combusts. 🔥 🔥 🔥 Readers loved it, but one of Dickens’s good friends—a former scientist—blasted Dickens for his scientific ignorance. It ignited one of the strangest controversies in literary history. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

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## Transcript

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