Coolest thing I've seen this week

I'm sure our more well read members will recognize this. I'm wondering if I could do this myself due to being overly charged in the winter.

reply to post by jbondo


that is clearly very very cool... but WTF is going on...

looks like a *lot* of volts and a bit of perspex, a nail and a hammer... but... howzit work?

please post information!

reply to post by rat256


2.2 MegaVolt Lightning - Lichtenberg Figures

The interior of an 18" square x 1" piece of Plexiglas was charged to 2.2 million volts (MV) using a 5 MV particle accelerator. A layer of excess electrons become trapped deep inside. When discharged, the excess charge escaped with a bright flash and a loud bang. The hot, lightning-like discharge created thousands of microscopic fractures inside the acrylic, resulting in a branching "Captured Lightning" sculpture (or Lichtenberg Figure).

reply to post by AnnunakiX


thankyou very much... glad to see i was a bit right!

that is verrrrrry funky. i want one. i wonder how long till someone sells them on ebay!

My apologies as I've left the link to the science part of it out. I usually don't miss doing that. I was thinking it wouldn't take much for me to do it as I'm like a static factory in the winter. It's very annoying, plus i don't get little shocks of off door handles and the such, I get big bangin whammys! I fear touching anything metal.

Here is the DIY: www.popsci.com...

Again, my apologies.