Skeptics Stack Exchange
Skeptics Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [lightning]

for questions about claims based on lightning, sparks of electricity in the atmosphere.

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Is ball lightning real?

Over the ages there have been many accounts of ball lightning. Some accounts from Wikipedia are as follows: One of the earliest descriptions was reported during The Great Thunderstorm at a church in Widecombe-in-the-Moor, Devon, in England,…
Ardesco
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Is it safe to stand by the windows during a thunderstorm?

There is widespread belief in my culture that we should not stay near door or windows during lightning. So people advise others to stay inside house with doors and windows closed to be safe from lightning. Is there any scientific basis for that idea…
Four Seasons
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In a lightning storm, is it safer to stand near a beech tree than near an oak tree?

According to a German folk wisdom, in a lightning storm one should avoid oaks and seek out beeches. German Wikipedia on Volksweisheit: „Buchen sollst Du suchen, Eichen sollst Du weichen“ Meaning beeches you should seek, oaks you should avoid The…
gerrit
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Did a lightning strike make a river roll and boil?

There's a video that I just came across on Facebook: original source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TD2hyCUePL0 alternative copy: https://www.facebook.com/hardbond/videos/10155610316509339/ In the video it shows what appears to be lightning…
Wayne Werner
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Are passengers inside cars protected from lightning because of the tires?

It's a common statement that passengers of a car are protected from lightening while inside because the car has rubber tires (which are insulators). An alternative theory often put forward is that the vehicle is made of a metal conductor. The…
Brian M. Hunt
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Is Nikola Tesla the only scientist to successfully create ball lightning?

Related: Is there any scientific proof that ball lightning is real? Someone passed along this The Oatmeal comic about Tesla. It's quite interesting and entertaining. I was curious about a lot of the statements' complete veracity, but this one in…
Hendy
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Do open windows increase the chance of lightning striking the house?

There's a widespread belief among most of the people I know that all windows should be closed during a storm as having them open is supposed to attract lightning (or, according to some people, can allow the lightning to 'strike inside'). I'm highly…
Gregor
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Could phone and electronics batteries be recharged by a lightning strike?

I was reading this story about lightning that stuck a vehicle while the family was still inside: Utah family films car as it’s struck by lightning About halfway through the article is the following claim: "However, the family's cell phones and other…
MikeS
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Is there any case of someone being hit by lightning in a urban pool?

I live in Quebec, and one of the strangest thing here is that every time that some clouds are in the sky, all public pools in the cities are evacuated. This is done for our "safety" with the argument that lightning can strike the pool and I guess…
Zenon
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Can lightning restore sight?

Edwin Robinson was claimed to have regained his sight after being struck by lightning. Can this really happen?
Casebash
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Does closing a window reduce a serious risk of harm due to ball lightning?

In my country, there is a popular belief that during a thunderstorm, windows should be closed because of the risk of ball lightning. The answers to this other question explain that ball lightning “is a well-documented phenomenon”. Although, I can't…
Arseni Mourzenko
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If the viewable part of lightning goes from the ground up, why does it look like lightning goes from the sky down?

According to here, it seems like the visible portion of lightning comes from the ground up; however I watched some slow motion YouTube videos, and it is clear that the lightning appears to be traveling downwards. Also here it claims the visible part…
Celeritas
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Is speaking on phone during lightning harmful?

I have heard many people say that speaking on cell phone while it is lightning may damage the ears. A week before my room mate was speaking on the phone during lightning, and suddenly threw the phone away and said he experienced "a shock." Cans…
Vinoth Kumar C M
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Do mobile phones attract lightning strikes if they are not switched off?

I was out on a field trip with another family when there was a thunderstorm. According to the people in this family, I have to switch off my mobile phone during the thunderstorm, because the "waves" emitted by the phone "attracts lightning". I…
Flux
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