# The introduction of a lightning physicist **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 21, 2021, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-introduction-of-a-lightning-physicist/940459 "2021-04-21T15:28:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiendish_astronaut/32/3295_2.png) [@Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiendish_Astronaut)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2021, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-introduction-of-a-lightning-physicist/940459/21 "2021-04-21T21:11:20Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > I hope he hasn’t _bolted_ out of here already. That would be a _strike_ against the Doper community. Really he should start from the bottom and go upwards. ---
**Author:** ![Fotheringay-Phipps](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/d9b06d/32.png) [@Fotheringay-Phipps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fotheringay-Phipps)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2021, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-introduction-of-a-lightning-physicist/940459/22 "2021-04-21T21:48:37Z")
Lighting question: why is it that older houses tended to be made with lightning rods, but newer houses rarely if ever have them? (At least where I live, anyway.) Did it turn out that lightning rods didn’t really work anyway? Or are lightning strikes on houses so rare that it’s just not worthwhile? Or perhaps the construction of houses has changed such that it’s less of a risk than it was for older houses? ---
**Author:** ![gnarator](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gnarator/32/8266_2.png) [@gnarator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnarator)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2021, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-introduction-of-a-lightning-physicist/940459/23 "2021-04-21T21:56:24Z")
Do you have to fly kites with housekeys on the strings? ---
**Author:** ![gnarator](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gnarator/32/8266_2.png) [@gnarator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnarator)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2021, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-introduction-of-a-lightning-physicist/940459/24 "2021-04-21T21:58:25Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > I assume in a few seconds we’ll be hearing from a thunder physicist. Thunder only happens when it’s raining. ---
**Author:** ![mikecurtis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mikecurtis/32/3284_2.png) [@mikecurtis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mikecurtis)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2021, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-introduction-of-a-lightning-physicist/940459/25 "2021-04-21T22:45:09Z")
Chicago’s favorite weatherman (and meteorological know-it-all) Tom Skilling has this to say about it: > There is no good reason why lightning rods (and the associated assembly consisting of a connection to earth and a ground rod) are not routinely added to houses. Perhaps it’s because the chance of a lightning strike is, for most houses, quite low. However, most high buildings and other structures do have some kind of lightning protection system incorporated into them. > **[Ask Tom: Why do houses no longer have lightning rods?](https://www.chicagotribune.com/weather/ct-wea-1117-asktom-20151116-column.html?outputType=amp)** > > There is no good reason why lightning rods are not added to houses. Perhaps it's because the chance of a lightning strike most houses is quite low. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2021, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-introduction-of-a-lightning-physicist/940459/26 "2021-04-21T23:19:21Z")
A semi-serous answer is related to why many newly-built houses even now in 2021 have really pitiful thermal insulation in teh exterior walls & under the roofing. As between $5K spent by the builder on a) lightning rods, b) more insulation, c) fancier appliances, flooring, & windows, which choice do you think sells more houses more quickly? ---
**Author:** ![GeneralTang](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/97f17d/32.png) [@GeneralTang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GeneralTang)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2021, 7:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-introduction-of-a-lightning-physicist/940459/27 "2021-04-22T07:48:54Z")
> and is orange Tang still a thing? I do not discuss Orange Tang. ---
**Author:** ![GeneralTang](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/97f17d/32.png) [@GeneralTang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GeneralTang)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2021, 7:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-introduction-of-a-lightning-physicist/940459/28 "2021-04-22T07:51:19Z")
It involves a large kite, a remote castle, and a senior researcher yelling “THROW THE SWITCH!!” However, it is actually illegal for me to give any further details. ---
**Author:** ![BippityBoppityBoo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bippityboppityboo/32/5745_2.png) [@BippityBoppityBoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BippityBoppityBoo)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2021, 7:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-introduction-of-a-lightning-physicist/940459/29 "2021-04-22T07:52:25Z")
> [@GeneralTang](#): > > I do not discuss Orange Tang > [@GeneralTang](#): > > However, it is actually illegal for me to give any further details. You are going to do just fine here. ---
**Author:** ![GeneralTang](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/97f17d/32.png) [@GeneralTang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GeneralTang)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2021, 7:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-introduction-of-a-lightning-physicist/940459/30 "2021-04-22T07:53:25Z")
We’ve evolved significantly. During my PhD We’d launch rockets that were grounded with kevlar-coated copper wire in order to trigger lightning during thunderstorms. Now I use a radio telescope (LOFAR) to make 3D images of the lightning ---
**Author:** ![GeneralTang](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/97f17d/32.png) [@GeneralTang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GeneralTang)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2021, 7:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-introduction-of-a-lightning-physicist/940459/31 "2021-04-22T07:56:03Z")
Ostensibly. The copper in the wires (see above post) would burn up and give the initial stage of the lightning a greenish hue. Lightning on other planets certainly works very different, thus is a different color, due to the different atmosphere. However, unless something weird is happening, I doubt the earth’s atmosphere varies enough to make any significant change to the color ---
**Author:** ![GeneralTang](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/97f17d/32.png) [@GeneralTang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GeneralTang)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2021, 8:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-introduction-of-a-lightning-physicist/940459/32 "2021-04-22T08:03:51Z")
Historically I haven’t really got along well with “thunder physicists”. During my PhD we had some collaborators (who were known for not being very good experementalists, too may physicists and not enough engineers) try to study thunder by setting out an array of microphones at our lightning triggering site. Thunder is rarely studied for many reasons, one of which is that it is very hard because EVERYTHING can affect your measurement of the thunder. (how do you know that wall 100 m away isn’t causing reflections that your microphone picks up?), this group did not have the expertise to solve these issues. Anywho, before wasting our time, this group had never even brought the microphones OUTSIDE before, nevertheless placed them in a thunderstorm. Their experiment had many problems, including regularly getting blown over. The funniest however was the fact they didn’t anticipate their microphones would get wet (???). Their eventual solution (AFTER discovering that rain is a thing) was to put on un-lubricated condoms on the microphones. I made sure to always be busy when they came around asking for help. ---
**Author:** ![GeneralTang](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/97f17d/32.png) [@GeneralTang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GeneralTang)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2021, 8:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-introduction-of-a-lightning-physicist/940459/33 "2021-04-22T08:06:04Z")
During my PhD a research group (in China I think) randomly caught a ball lightning (what is the singular anyway?) with a spectrometer. Which, as you can imagine, was just stupidly good luck. Turns out it’s just burning dirt. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2021, 8:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-introduction-of-a-lightning-physicist/940459/34 "2021-04-22T08:11:03Z")
Thanks, this is at least a start. ---
**Author:** ![GeneralTang](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/97f17d/32.png) [@GeneralTang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GeneralTang)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2021, 8:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-introduction-of-a-lightning-physicist/940459/35 "2021-04-22T08:11:56Z")
Thanks! My PhD did not add much to the field, I’ve fortunately become more productive since then. However, one bit that is interesting. It turns out that lighting can emit intense bursts of gamma rays (TGF), which are now regularly detected by satellites . During my PhD I was very lucky and recorded a rare downward-directed gamma ray burst, which turned out to be the most power TGF ever recorded (pretty sure, this isn’t SUPPER hard). Some simulations showed that the source region (at 3 km altitude, low in the thunderstorm) probably had lethal levels of radiation. The implication being that downward-directed gamma ray bursts (which are difficult to measure) could be far more intense than their upward-going cousins. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2021, 8:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-introduction-of-a-lightning-physicist/940459/36 "2021-04-22T08:13:57Z")
Does this mean gamma based super powers are also on the table? ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2021, 8:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-introduction-of-a-lightning-physicist/940459/37 "2021-04-22T08:15:33Z")
> [@GeneralTang](#): > > I do not discuss Orange Tang. The First Rule of Orange Tang is… well, you know. ---
**Author:** ![user\_hostile](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/user_hostile/32/474_2.png) [@user\_hostile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/user_hostile)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2021, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-introduction-of-a-lightning-physicist/940459/38 "2021-04-22T16:55:44Z")
Are you saying if I were flying a plane through a thunderstorm (which would likely be fatal anyway), and a downward event occurred close enough to the cockpit (like, how close?), I’d be a dead man flying? ---
**Author:** ![Deeg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/deeg/32/2955_2.png) [@Deeg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Deeg)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2021, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-introduction-of-a-lightning-physicist/940459/39 "2021-04-22T18:00:13Z")
Do you ever use the word " **lightninging**"? ---
**Author:** ![gnarator](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gnarator/32/8266_2.png) [@gnarator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnarator)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2021, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-introduction-of-a-lightning-physicist/940459/40 "2021-04-22T18:27:52Z")
> [@GeneralTang](#): > > Historically I haven’t really got along well with “thunder physicists”. Players only love you when they’re playing [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-introduction-of-a-lightning-physicist/940459.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-introduction-of-a-lightning-physicist/940459.md?page=3)