Post #2516462
2026-05-11 11:08 UTC
Dear Benjamin Franklin
I have travelled back in time from 2026 to tell you that we’re still not certain exactly how lightning works.
There are relativistic electrons and gamma rays involved, maybe positrons, and (possibly extragalactic) cosmic rays.
But it’s complicated, and we’re still thrashing out the details.
https://www.quantamagazine.org/what-causes-lightning-the-answer-keeps-getting-more-interesting-20260506/
Replies (4)
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@davidtheeviloverlord@mastodon.social 2026-05-11 11:18
@gregeganSF@mathstodon.xyz Shocking.
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@dckim@mastodon.social 2026-05-11 13:43
@gregeganSF@mathstodon.xyz this ties back in to a couple of articles that I spotted the other day because, lightning actually produces nitrogen that becomes fertilizer for the ground... https://zirk.us/@ShaulaEvans/116552907093963458 https://mindly.social/@joewynne/116551786891922327
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@b_rain@troet.cafe 2026-05-11 13:45
@gregeganSF@mathstodon.xyz I love that little typo: "we’re still not certain exactly how lighting works." because it is still true. 😉 Every photographer would probably agree about the difficulties of lighting! :blobcatcamera: #sillyCommenting
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@brouhaha@mastodon.social 2026-05-11 22:02
@gregeganSF@mathstodon.xyz But while I'm here, Ben, please designate positive and negative the other way around.