# Lightning Up **URL:** \ **Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\ **Created:** [August 2, 2008, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lightning-up/458645 "2008-08-02T23:26:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Little\_Brother\_1](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_brother_1/32/3513_2.png) [@Little\_Brother\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Brother_1)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2008, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lightning-up/458645/1 "2008-08-02T23:26:51Z")
[I apologize if I’m incorrect to post this as a new thread here, since it’s basically an “Ask Cecil” comment prompted by this topic; I trust this will be moved to the proper location, if so.] * * * The purpose of a lightning rod is to attract and dissipate lightning strikes to prevent damage to persons and property. (duh) But is it possible to _capture_ the electrical energy of lighning strikes? Obviously, lightning strikes so randomly and infrequently at a given point that, say, an individual homeowner isn’t likely to benefit from a gizmo that could store electrical energy for use. But I’m curious whether anyone has ever attempted to develop technology that could harness lightning to take advantage of all that “free” electrical energy instead of dissipating it, or whether it’s simply too impractical to bother. ---
**Author:** ![Can\_Handle\_the\_Truth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Can\_Handle\_the\_Truth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Can_Handle_the_Truth)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2008, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lightning-up/458645/2 "2008-08-03T20:42:57Z")
[This guy did it.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9dMFT0k5FJE&feature=related) ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2008, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lightning-up/458645/3 "2008-08-03T22:41:30Z")
Welcome to the SDMB, Little Brøther. A link to the column you’re commenting on is appreciated. Providing one can be as simple as pasting the URL into your post, making sure to leave a blank space on either side of it. Like so: [http://www.straightdope.com/columns/080801.html](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/080801.html) Since your question is somewhat tangential to Cecil’s column, you may get a better response in our General Questions forum. If you’d like me to move this thread over there, let me know. bibliophage moderator CCC