THIS IS NOT A HOAX.

i went straight home last thurs after seeing this and made a ball to the same spec, works perfectly. gets a bit hot like holding your hand on a hot radiator, but if you keep it moving or cool your hands down before you can keep it going for longer. made mk2 at the pub on friday, golf ball core to increase size, made 3, juggled with them :-D. mk3 will have a snooker ball core and be wrapped up with kevlar thread. basically anything that frays beyond a nice sphere is likely to catch light and burning cotton will burn you, the lighter fluid won't if done as shown. also, if you don't have enough fuel on it or you leave it alight for too long and the fuel burns off the cotton may ignite.