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2064
2065

Lightning rod in action (i.imgur.com)

submitted ago by sunkid

top 200 commentsshow all 226
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[–]sanfordfire 425 points426 points ago

Not a lightning rod. Actually a platform that launches rockets with wires to "make" lightning strike, so they can study it! Friken awesome! Fuck Yah science!

[–]KalimasPinky 50 points51 points ago

Came here to say exactly this. Glad someone else knows about these. This looks like some I have seen footage of in Florida.

[–]TheMissingLegoBrick 21 points22 points ago

Best use of model rockets ever! Making lighting strike in the same place again and again.

[–]KalimasPinky 11 points12 points ago

They used to have an observatory at NM Tech and every time a storm would roll in towards the end of the year the grad/phd students who needed data would start getting very nervous and excited. It was really funny to see them jumping up to the window every time someone said "lightning"

EDIT: They might still have that observatory I don't know and don't feel like googling it.

[–]TheMissingLegoBrick 5 points6 points ago

Google Says Yes:

http://langmuir.nmt.edu/289-2/summer-2012-rocket-triggering

[–]KalimasPinky 1 point2 points ago

Glad to see they are still melting stuff.

[–]zjbird 0 points1 point ago

I kept going down thinking it was a joke waiting for someone to either admit it or post info.

[–]top_counter 0 points1 point ago

You know that's legit because if you were trying to make a parody of a program, there's no way you'd make it look so much like geocities.

[–]dynewind 2 points3 points ago

Here it is, i've been interested in it for quite some time now...

http://www.lightning.ece.ufl.edu/

[–]KalimasPinky 0 points1 point ago

Yeah I got to sit in on a few of their presentations. They kind of screwed themselves when they showed a video as "recent" data research and one of the scientists pointed out the timestamp was 5 years old.

They did a great job even though they got caught while presenting their data.

[–]builtbro 1 point2 points ago

Yes, the university lightning research racket is widely known to be rife with duplicity and the dirtiest kinds of scheming graft. You've totally blown the lid off their underhanded trickery!

[–]TehRoot 1 point2 points ago

It's the lightning research laboratory at the University of Florida.

[–]KalimasPinky 0 points1 point ago

IIRC it was a group of entities with U of F taking the lead.

[–]TehRoot 0 points1 point ago

http://www.lightning.ece.ufl.edu/

[–]KalimasPinky 0 points1 point ago

http://www.ece.ufl.edu/research/centers/iclrt.html

EDIT: They also operate out of funds from some national labs for certain projects.

[–]Curtalius 23 points24 points ago

sorry guys, its not a lightning rod. Its just something that is somehow even more awesome.

[–]Jessedef 12 points13 points ago

http://i.imgur.com/WfQjA.jpg

[–]CarnalKnowledge 2 points3 points ago

I actually study this. This is an image from one of my research projects.

[–]relevantmtgcard 4 points5 points ago

http://magiccards.info/gp/en/119.html

[–]branewalker -1 points0 points ago

Really? This one isn't just a little more relevant?

[–]o0DrWurm0o 2 points3 points ago

The Lightning Attracting Rocket Platform of Science!

[–]SCIENCE_BE_PRAISED 1 point2 points ago

Fuck Yah science!

Loving this.

[–]get_slade 0 points1 point ago

I was wondering why there was such a straight line of lightning on the left, didn't make sense to me.

[–]lickslips 0 points1 point ago

Ueah man Popular science

[–]mikepixie 0 points1 point ago

A while back an old friend and conspiracy nut posted this on facebook to prove the CIA could control the weather. He was rather peeved when I told him what it actually is!

[–]fateswarm 0 points1 point ago

Sounds like a weapon 'study'.

[–]sanfordfire 0 points1 point ago

That requires a lightning storm to be occurring and then to place a rocket with a cord attached to the 'enemy' and launch it into the storm and maybe lighting will hit it... Yah you're probably right.

[–]fateswarm 0 points1 point ago

And your peaceful purposes would require sunshine.

[–]RomanticFarce 0 points1 point ago

Cool! Are they looking into harvesting the power?

[–]pop_fest420 0 points1 point ago

Wouldn't it be easier to just put a key in a jar?

[–][deleted] 1 point2 points ago

Wrong. It's actually He-Man. He has the power.

[–]EseJandro 1 point2 points ago

so OP is a liar?!

[–]iamrory 6 points7 points ago

No, just a faggot.

[–]FuzzyBlumpkinz -3 points-2 points ago

My rod launches rockets and makes lightning strikes. You should see IT in action.

[–]theDudeRules 16 points17 points ago

if only this power could be harnessed.

[–]KalimasPinky 22 points23 points ago

They have tried. You can make charred grill cheese and marshmallows with it or just about any food burnt to a crisp and possible blown to bits, but just measuring it blows up the gauges.

[–]lacheur42 1 point2 points ago

I wonder why you couldn't make a huge scale capacitor? Just like, a square mile (or whatever) of flat plates. Maybe drawing off the power would be problematic...

[–]KalimasPinky 0 points1 point ago

That I don't know. I just figured it would melt wires or crack the dielectric.

[–]lacheur42 0 points1 point ago

I'm thinking more basic. Air for the dielectric, and no wires, just two huge metal plates, separated by a space.

Although on further though I suppose a charged cloud and the earth basically is that capacitor, and the dielectric is measured in thousands of feet, so I think the answer is no.

[–]KalimasPinky 0 points1 point ago

Glad that went where it did I was about to face palm. My nose thanks you.

We would need superconductors and dare I say it... A super insulator or at least something that doesn't breakdown as easily as anything we have today.

Although I'm a lowly CS person so I am probably missing a lot of the physics.

[–]lacheur42 1 point2 points ago

Hum...teflon is around 1-300 million times better insulator than air, so that part might actually be feasible. A half inch of teflon is like 1,000 miles of air. And I think a couple inches of aluminum would conduct well enough not to blow up. Lightning rods are multi-use, right?

Alright, new reddit project: lightning capacitor! Fire up those paypal accounts, kiddies! Or maybe we should run this by /r/askscience first...

[–]neagrosk 1 point2 points ago

Could we use it to flash boil water though? Maybe store steam as some sort of energy perhaps? Might be a bit too unreliable... What about electrolysis? Does it work with that amount of power?

[–]KalimasPinky 5 points6 points ago

I get the feeling that any container that you put the water in would act like a faradays cage even if it is made of rubber.

Just because the voltage is high doesn't mean that you get any current out of it.

[–]neagrosk 1 point2 points ago

There has to be a way somehow... I wish I knew more about lightning and electrodynamics now.

[–]KalimasPinky 5 points6 points ago

There are a few PhDs with the same wish and a lot more experience so... Know what your getting into...

[–]PenisFlyTrap 0 points1 point ago

That shit would blow up so fast. The pressure would go up considerably.

[–]neagrosk 2 points3 points ago

Hrm well blowing stuff up is always a good start for generating energy, it means you just have to make your device stronger to compensate... though maybe lightning might be a bit too much.

[–]Seclorum 1 point2 points ago

Mythbuster that shit. Go full size. Channel it into a LAKE.

[–]PenisFlyTrap 1 point2 points ago

Explode a lake. I like how you think.

[–]Seclorum 0 points1 point ago

They already blew up the lake. Seen the Quarry lake explosions yet?

No I want to channel the might of lightning directly into the lake. I want to Flash boil that bitch!

[–]PenisFlyTrap 1 point2 points ago

Of course they already blew up a lake......

[–]Seclorum 0 points1 point ago

I like to think they blew a big hole in the quarry when they detonated the dump truck full of dynomite. Then the hole filled with water to form a lake, that they blew up several times trying to experiment with various things. Eventually they created a mini Tsunami.

[–]fateswarm 0 points1 point ago

Face it; they only study it as a weapon.

[–]Mharbles 0 points1 point ago

Yes please http://www.livescience.com/21128-army-strike-lightning-weapon.html

[–]pU8O5E439Mruz47w 0 points1 point ago

Sure it can, but more importantly- how do we know where it will strike?

[–]neagrosk 1 point2 points ago

As you can see in the picture, you pretty much fire a rocket with a wire attached to the base platform, when the rocket gets to the appropriate height the potential energy from the clouds jumps to the wire and flows downwards to the base, or something like that

[–]pU8O5E439Mruz47w 1 point2 points ago

Oh, so the rocket isn't actually producing anything, just carrying up the wire.

Well, launching a rocket takes a fair amount of energy. Lightning, as discussed in this page of comments, has low total energy, so it might not even be a net win to send up a rocket.

Ideally you just attract the lightning from all around.

[–]derping -1 points0 points ago

I'd make the most powerful sex machine ever!

-Japan

[–][deleted] ago

[deleted]

[–]PorcupineTheory 1 point2 points ago

AA battery: 9000 joules Lightning: 1,000,000,000 to 10,000,000,000 joules

So yeah.

[–]burnte 0 points1 point ago

Actually, a lightning strike contains roughly 500,000 times the energy of a AA battery, around 5 billion joules.

[–]Reformed_Asshole 0 points1 point ago

For some reason, I would have expected more...

[–]JSteigs 5 points6 points ago

From a person who works atop 150 foot steel towers for work, LIGHTING SCARES THE SHIT OUT OF ME.

[–]gtarget 6 points7 points ago

Lighting scares the shit out of you? Do you just stumble around blindly at night then?

[–]dyzastrus 3 points4 points ago

Oh, you.

[–]Deergoose 0 points1 point ago

Do tell. Ever had to race down before a storm rolled in?

[–]JSteigs 0 points1 point ago

I have been atop a tower when we knew a storm was coming. Not long after starting work, I could hear clicking, and thought it was small hail hitting the handrails. The electrician I was working with noticed after about five minutes, and said we needed to climb down immediately. The clicking was static charge grounding through the tower. By the time we climbed, lightning was striking close to where we were working. Normally you can see the storms coming from a ways out, and get enough warning to quit.

[–]andrewsmith1986 44 points45 points ago

This ins't a lightening rod.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lightning#Rocket-triggered

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lightning_rocket

[–]Herak 23 points24 points ago

Igor order 10 of these for my laboratory we have monsters to animate.

[–]dare2dan 5 points6 points ago

Not sure why the downvotes... You're right, even if you made some spelling mistakes along the way.

[–]flume 2 points3 points ago

When you comment at such a pace as andrewsmith1986, you don't have time to slow down for such trifles as spelling

[–]threevolve 0 points1 point ago

I don't even have to click the link to know that lightning rockets are something I want to play with.

[–]Parakoto 6 points7 points ago

BY THE POWER OF GREYSKULL

[–]Jessedef 2 points3 points ago

I AM HE-MAN!!!!

[–]lethargicwalrus 8 points9 points ago

A tribute to Mace Windu!

[–]CollaredGreens 2 points3 points ago

Lightning bacon.

[–]James-VZ 4 points5 points ago

SORAN IS ATTEMPTING TO RETURN TO THE NEXUS! WE MUST STOP HIM!

[–]fco83 0 points1 point ago

Someone get that guy a shuttle or something to just fly in there. Guy attended the bond villain school of overly complicated ways of getting things done.

[–]ehpuckit 10 points11 points ago

Huh. Last year when this picture was up it was a rocket fired into a storm cloud with a wire attached so it would create the lightning. How things change.

[–]PaalRyd 5 points6 points ago

Create? No.

Trigger? Yes.

And it still is a picture of what happends when you shoot a rocket into a stormcloud with a wire attached...

[–]dafootballer 1 point2 points ago

III HAVVEEE THE POWEERRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

[–]Vercify 3 points4 points ago

that right there looks like bacon.

[–]Dr_Twatson 1 point2 points ago

I enjoyed reading this comment after reading that butt-argument above.

[–]BrorannasaursRex -3 points-2 points ago

Your face looks like bacon.

[–]tiania 1 point2 points ago

So you mean to tell me there isn't a real firebender that's shooting off lightning? Alright buddy, alright

[–]goddamnzilla 0 points1 point ago

UF ICLRT... good memories from a summer in college... awesome.

[–]Padonogan 0 points1 point ago

That's no lightning rod. The mother fucking Highlander just cut off another immortal's head.

[–]Hieronaut 0 points1 point ago

Joy Division: The Remixes...

[–]Curtalius 0 points1 point ago

By the Power of Greyskull!

[–]Dx2x 0 points1 point ago

MMMMMM, electricity bacon.

[–]gosuprobe 0 points1 point ago

reminds me of chrono trigger

[–]knifeyspoony22 0 points1 point ago

Thunder cats ho!

[–]JSteigs 1 point2 points ago

From someone who works atop 150 steels towers, LIGHTING SCARES THE SHIT OUT OF ME! Seriously though one bit of thunder and I'm gone.

[–]InTransitHQ 1 point2 points ago

I wonder what they're doing with all those 1.21 gigawatts.

[–]rhyno8130 -1 points0 points ago

THUUNNNDDDEERRRRRR CAAAATTTTSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!...

[–]MUSTY_BALLSACK 0 points1 point ago

Straight out of the last issue of popular science

[–]airbornemaniac 1 point2 points ago

They do this with lasers too. We can now laser target lightning strikes.

[–]Laeno 0 points1 point ago

thunder...Thunder... THUNDERCATS, HOOOOOO!

[–]massrabbler -1 points0 points ago

....that doesn't look like a lightning rod.

[–]chazzeromus 0 points1 point ago

That's so pretty, sigh. Oh lightning.

[–]fartpoopandpee -1 points0 points ago

Did they died?

[–]imsoalan 0 points1 point ago

Dammit Thor, not again!

[–]barb2thewire 0 points1 point ago

It looks like bacon!

[–]theTown00 0 points1 point ago

this is what came to mind. O_o I like scouts

[–]NicholassBalls 0 points1 point ago

ZAP

[–]MZITF 0 points1 point ago

ARIMA!

[–]jacq_willow 1 point2 points ago

Anyone else think it kinda looks like bacon? Or maybe I'm just a little hungry lol.

[–]Dapshott 0 points1 point ago

OP is a lightning rod of criticism in this thread.

[–]Euphorium 0 points1 point ago

By the power of Greyskull!

[–]urbanotter 0 points1 point ago

if one could harness all that energy the world would be a far better place ...

[–]Sashieden 0 points1 point ago

It reminds me of the Emperor battling Superman coming in hot.

[–]illogicalvagina 0 points1 point ago

Isn't this just repost from that classic sci-fi movie Star Trek: Generations?

[–]winnage 0 points1 point ago

There is a sith at the other end of that lightning for sure.

[–]Kdnce 0 points1 point ago

Is it possible to harvest lightning into giant capacitors?

[–]junzafra 0 points1 point ago

I HAVE THE POWER

[–]BOOMBOXNOTATOY 0 points1 point ago

I have the POWER!

[–]Catch22af 1 point2 points ago

it's the NEXUS!!!!

[–]gandalfinlove 0 points1 point ago

I imagine this is what it looks like when Tom Cruise, Mel Gibson, and Russel Crowe touch penis' together.

[–]free_dead_puppy 0 points1 point ago

Combined we are CAPTAIN PLANET!

[–]logintodothat 0 points1 point ago

This is freakin' awesome! I'd like to see this live!

[–]ToxWatrs 0 points1 point ago

Looks like the Tardis needed charging....

[–]stunash01 0 points1 point ago

wow. that is just fucking cool

[–]DtheK 0 points1 point ago

If someone could explain, is that laser like straight line? or just the rocket?

[–]fasmaun 0 points1 point ago

PIKACHU, AIM FOR THE HORN!

[–]johhnymayhem 0 points1 point ago

Based in part on the thumbnail, I read this as "Lightning rod erection." Kind of disappointed.

[–]YoniMaven 0 points1 point ago

Where Thor was last spotted...

[–]FlailStorm 0 points1 point ago

I have the weirdest boner right now.

[–]almondbutter -1 points0 points ago

Lightning is a natural phenomenon that should only happen when it's a natural phenomenon!

[–]LittleOni 0 points1 point ago

Lightening rod erection... Of course that's what my brain is going to tell me at 2am on Reddit...

[–]jcorn3 0 points1 point ago

We probably just missed the delorean.

[–]Eye-Rack-E 1 point2 points ago

Well Cloud's sword sure has gotten bigger.

[–]vitamalz 1 point2 points ago

We all know this is a secret soviet outpost developing tiberium powered tesla coil technology right?

[–]free_dead_puppy 0 points1 point ago

YOU NEED ADDITIONAL POWER PLANTS.

[–]Seclorum 1 point2 points ago

Thats not a lightning rod. Its a Laser. Ionizes the air causing a nice neat path for lightning to strike down.

[–]Starklet 0 points1 point ago

Looks dangerous

[–]insanedoctor 0 points1 point ago

maybe its too much reddit but the first thing i saw was bacon.

[–]firashtamir 0 points1 point ago

How do I know if its working?

[–]The_Shitty_Gatsby 0 points1 point ago

Reminds me of that Joy Division album.

[–]superfishnet 0 points1 point ago

I raise you a Rod Stewart in action: http://blog.newsok.com/bamsblog/files/2009/05/rod-stewart-528x596.jpg

[–]hobbitgirl05 0 points1 point ago

Thor?

[–]dongsy-normus 0 points1 point ago

Sweet picture Michael J. Fox

[–]serrghi 0 points1 point ago

Thats what they want you to believe. It's actually Heman: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-dJolYw8tnk

[–]ChokeThis 0 points1 point ago

KAME-HAME-HAAAAA!!

[–]RetroCorn 0 points1 point ago

This is a sign my fellow believers! A sign that the Bacon God shall once again walk the earth! Sharing the gospel of pork with all!

[–]i_internets_good 0 points1 point ago

Clearly, that's a special beam canon! Jeeez

[–]MizzElissa 0 points1 point ago

Utterly beautiful.

[–]Very_Serious 0 points1 point ago

http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2012-08/labs-go-boom-lightning-research-lab-builds-its-own-bolts

[–]Amateur1234 0 points1 point ago

Seems a lot of people want to know more about lightning, MIT professor Walter Lewin did a great job here, although it might still be too advanced for the layperson.

[–]Ehdeeboo 0 points1 point ago

Makes this world seem so much more.. Godly. But not the religious kind. The epic kind [8]

[–]AVVIT 0 points1 point ago

OMG nyan cat Crashed !

[–]knowledgeispower13[!] 1 point2 points ago

iiii have the powerrrrrrr. someone please photoshop He-man below this

[–]RougeCrown 0 points1 point ago

EXCALIBAAAAAAAA

/ps if you get this reference then you're awesome.

[–]RemasteredJedi 0 points1 point ago

Looks like Conner McLeod took one more Immortals head for The Prize. Well, either that or he challenged Freddie Mercury to a sword fight. THERE CAN BE ONLY ONE!!!!

[–]Anonazon2 0 points1 point ago

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=buSaGIoNXu8&feature=related

[–]Captain_Aizen 0 points1 point ago

ALL OF YOUR LIGHTNING ARE BELONG TO ME NOW!!!

[–]Lvl2PooShooter 0 points1 point ago

My dick is so hard for this fucking lightning rod. That's what the bitches call me. Lightning rod. Don't know why.

[–]TRAUMAjunkie 0 points1 point ago

If you look carefully you can see a villan from Power Rangers coming down to earth.

[–]VonBrewskie 0 points1 point ago

Actually, that's Christopher Lambert rehearsing back in the day for Highlander. He's so method.

[–]RemasteredJedi 0 points1 point ago

HEY, I already made the first Highlander Reference!!!!!

[–]VonBrewskie 0 points1 point ago

...there can be only one. draws broadsword

[–]UnholyDemigod 0 points1 point ago

You should totally x-post this to /r/LightningPorn

[–]TheRielDeal 0 points1 point ago

WOah this picture is a throwback

[–]thecobbsalad1 0 points1 point ago

This would make for an amazing album cover.

[–]nosfer82 0 points1 point ago

Duncan Macleud was here.

[–]RemasteredJedi 0 points1 point ago

My, GOD MAN you're not even TRYING!!!!!

[–]Testicular_Homocide 0 points1 point ago

BY THE POWER OF GREYSKULL!!

[–]xhosSTylex 0 points1 point ago

I was expecting to see Tesla holding a coat hanger. __/\/-<\

[–]King-of-Spades42 0 points1 point ago

IT'S THE QUICKENING

[–]RemasteredJedi 0 points1 point ago

BEEN. THERE. REFERENCED. THAT!!!

[–]Arknell 0 points1 point ago

"Feel it, boy! That is The Quickening!"

[–]RemasteredJedi 1 point2 points ago

THAT'S NOT EVEN THE PROPER QUOTE >:(

[–]Arknell 0 points1 point ago

IT DOESN'T MATTER. REMEMBER WHAT MARTINEZ TAUGHT YOU.

[–]randomhero1066 0 points1 point ago

Ghostbusters is real!

[–]verserse 0 points1 point ago

Looks just like my dubstep gun

[–]enter24 0 points1 point ago

lightsaber?

[–]honglath 0 points1 point ago

This would make a very cool sword.

[–]wickedg3 0 points1 point ago

that's art!

[–]spungie 0 points1 point ago

An X-Ray of lighting if im not mistaken.

[–]rikashiku 0 points1 point ago

SHAZAM!!!!

[–]lttmfnt 0 points1 point ago

So, did they destroy Zodd?

[–]bastion72 1 point2 points ago

Here's a link to a video.

[–]PowerKiegal 0 points1 point ago

Wow that is beautiful.

[–]Lochsexmonster 0 points1 point ago

Dude. Bacon.

[–]HeLLBURNR 0 points1 point ago

That's a rocket line being hit ,they shoot rockets into storms to get lightning to strike.

[–]theomaestro -1 points0 points ago

A lightning rod works by drawing charge from the sky/clouds to try and balance it out with the surrounding area so as not to create a difference in potential (voltage) between the two surfaces, thus preventing lightning, not absorbing it. Just sayin' ;)

edit: They can also be used to divert lightning from important areas in a structure.

[–]ticklecricket 3 points4 points ago

I really don't think that this is true. How could a single lightning rod dissipate enough charge to balance out the massive amount of charge built up in the clouds? If it was perhaps just a local effect that encouraged lightning to strike elsewhere, why does lightning ever strike lightning rods? Wouldn't there be some other tree that would receive the strike instead? From my understanding, the purpose of a lightning rod is so that the majority of the current from the strike travels through a conducting wire, rather than through the materials of the structure.

[–]DagMT 0 points1 point ago

Ben Franklin had two theories on the matter: dissipation (theomaestro's explanation) and diversion (ticklecricket's explanation). Modern researchers favor diversion, because even though there is a slight dissipation effect by lightning rods, the range of this effect is only a few meters.

[–]odonim 0 points1 point ago

This is true, lightning rods don't get struck by lightning. Lightning usually goes from ground to clouds but it's so fast you can't tell. A lightning rod will stop streamers forming from clouds to earth that when make contact causes lightning. Streamers are a precursor to lightning.

[–]AShavedApe -4 points-3 points ago

Contrary to popular belief, a lightning rod is supposed to repel lightening, not absorb it. It does it by having ionized electrons concentrated at the tip. I think I remembered that correctly.

[–]GramNapkin 4 points5 points ago

Did you? I thought a lightning rod provided a grounded place for lightning to safely strike wihtout harming the structure or its residents/inhabitants/audience/people

[–]Seclorum 0 points1 point ago

Had an engineer friend explain one day that most modern buildings have spiky balls on poles placed to keep lightning from striking certain areas. The towers on top of buildings dont generally have as much protection.

The spikes concentrate the electron flow and actually help to dissipate the charge in the air before it can build up enough to strike.

[–]asr 0 points1 point ago

That was the idea when they first made them. It didn't work, but they found that the ability to absorb (direct) the lightning was useful, so they went with it.

[–]asr -1 points0 points ago

The reason for the multiple offset strikes is wind. The wind blows the previous strike (i.e. the glowing air) off to the side before the next strike hits.

[–]downloard -3 points-2 points ago

Looks like this.

http://profile.ak.fbcdn.net/hprofile-ak-prn1/50273_23435194307_7376929_n.jpg

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