The human struggle to survive in a hostile natural environment dates back to prehistoric times. Houses are built by people to survive from various disasters such as cyclones, earthquakes, and floods. They tried to control nature through various inventions. These inventions have made life easier and smoother. Following this, a group of European scientists invented a new technology to control lightning. They have shown that it is possible to control lightning through the use of laser beams.
For more than two and a half years, people have been using metal rods to prevent lightning. In 1752, American scientist Benjamin Franklin showed how the use of a single metal rod in a building could protect against lightning. This is by far the most common method of lightning protection around the world. But for the first time, scientists have shown that it is possible to prevent lightning by using laser beams.
Laser technology was invented from the idea of building resistance against lightning in places where the use of metal rods is not possible. Through this technology it is possible to control the lightning at hundreds of feet. It has been researched in the laboratory for many decades. Research has also shown evidence of the ability of laser beams to prevent lightning.
To get hands-on evidence, scientists conducted experiments on Mount Santis in northeastern Switzerland. The experiment lasted for several months last year. There is also a tower with a height of 407 feet. The metal rod on its head is struck by lightning an average of 100 times per year. The scientists placed a car-shaped high-powered laser machine next to the tower. During stormy weather its rays are thrown into the sky. They found that the atmosphere rapidly absorbs and rejects these rays. This creates a system of heat and low density in the atmosphere. This system is chosen by lightning as its course. It is possible to control the flow of electricity.
Scientists believe that this laser-based lightning protection system will be widely used in airports and skyscrapers. The leader of the research team, Orielen Hoard, a physicist at Ecole Polytechnique in the Palaiseau region of France, said that almost everywhere metal rods are used to prevent lightning. But its protection capability is limited to a few meters. If the laser has sufficient power, this protection can be extended to several hundreds of meters.
Clouds emit large amounts of electricity through lightning. The lightning flashed over an area of two to three miles. Lightning generates heat of 30,000 degrees Celsius instantly, which is five times hotter than the surface of the Sun. More than 100 million lightning strikes occur in the world every year. Millions of people were injured. The loss is billions of dollars.
Physicist Joseph Duer of the University of New Hampshire praised the invention. He termed it as a ‘major advance’. He said, people have been researching lightning control using lasers for a long time instead of metal rods. Controlling lightning by lasers is an excellent idea.
However, the use of laser methods is much more expensive than just rods. Professor Manu Haddad of Cardiff University said the use of the laser method is more expensive than just the rod. However, this laser method can prove to be very effective in controlling lightning.
Sources: The Guardian and The Washington Post