This happens because you’re standing in an electromagnetic field that extends far beyond the bounds of the wires. A simple magnetic compass will point in different directions within various locations inside that field. Enough voltage, and you’ll get sparks jumping a gap.
Rumor has it you can hold up florescent tube lights under high voltage lines and they will glow. Not as bright as they would in a proper fixture, but enough to make you ask questions.
They do. Used to have a Christmas tree farm under some nearby my home town. They'd give you a florescent light to navigate when the sun went down. You had to cut your own so you needed it.
I noticed that as I was writing, was actually thinking of rephrasing to avoid that. Then I thought, Naw, let's see if anyone notices. Congratulations, you're the only one to have mentioned it!
I'm not surprised but I know others are and it usually gets people excited. And the electricity pun was actually unintended and free of charge. I thought about removing it, but heck, it might give someone a jolt.
And there are laws that criminalize just about everything, and if you aren't doing something that is explicitly illegal, they are worded so vaguely that a lawyer can twist it so what you did is actually illegal.
You can deny it all you want, it doesn't change facts. Thankfully, there are checks and balances in place to prevent corruption, but if a judge wants to throw you in jail, you are going to jail
Basically the city has "Dibs" on any water that WOULD go into the storm drain, so by diverting that water you are stealing from the city. I wish I was kidding.
It was a weird storm event called a derecho. Some lost power for over a week. Then a hurricane hit about a month later and people lost power for over a week again. Hurray!!!
What barbarian818 said, but also this: the ribs aren't the same length as the shaft of the umbrella, so they are antennas to different frequencies. One of them is much more perfect for the frequency of the AC current in the transmission lines than the other(s), and so reach(es) a much higher induced voltage than the other(s). That difference was enough to equalize between them through a little trail of plasma created by it stripping valence electrons right off the air molecules.
Basically: alternating electricity running through wires makes for moving magnetic fields. If powerful enough, those magnetic fields can induce current in nearby metal. The ribs are building enough charge this way to jump the nylon sleeve between canopy and handle. From there it goes into the person and down into the ground.
Well, there are some massive power lines up the mountain from me and we are expecting some thunderstorms with the hurricane coming later this week 🤔 (I'm kidding lol)
Yes. High voltage but low current. That spark is big enough, bright enough and fat enough to imply a much worse shock than your average doorknob shock. So definitely electric fence territory
wurstkaesescenario
Don't panic. Pure physics.
oo0ORB0oo
Did your phone charge? Really, that is all that matters.
YippeeKayakOB
As soon as you take another step
rshini
*Astromania intensifies*
slidewhistlesymphony
There's a reason why high tension lines are usually found WAY AWAY from people.
IliveIdyeIliveagain
高圧电危険 means High voltage electricity danger in Chinese FYI
judgementryu
actually shocked to learn that.
Justin31354
Perenotha
Electrical field from the massive power line... I would not willingly walk around that area..
icurays1
ePluribus
People simply don't understand just how far magnetic induction can reach.
Jeep360
I would say that umbrella has potential.
HelplessRomantic
badum tssss!
Giants1702
The Air there just feels eletric.
whiskerbat
AvsFreak
oprondek1978
Are you ready for your origin story?
dot5490
Static Shock!
TupacAintDead
Jump in the river and discover your true power.
Maccabi
... and this is how I got cancer.
Niagaran
Really!? Awesome.
jesuisgur
... And what happens next will shock you!
Petrolholic
Captain extra crispy.
Kyen155
WwwhyYouNoLikeMe
That time I was electrocuted to death and did not reincarnate?
tp0d
but... i wana be a slimeeeeee
Onlyhereforthelaughs
JimCarreyUhOh.gif
drduffer
This happens because you’re standing in an electromagnetic field that extends far beyond the bounds of the wires. A simple magnetic compass will point in different directions within various locations inside that field. Enough voltage, and you’ll get sparks jumping a gap.
flarflarf
eh, this does not impress me. The wild shit is pulling a spark off a radio tower and hearing the broadcast from the sound the spark makes
Hypothesist
its not weird.. its just em fields interacting with the plasma.
flarflarf
i didnt say it was weird.
TeamToasterNeverForget
What am I supposed to be seeing here?
glorioushelium
the transmission lines are creating a magnetic field that is making an arc in the umbrella
acetothermus
Rumor has it you can hold up florescent tube lights under high voltage lines and they will glow. Not as bright as they would in a proper fixture, but enough to make you ask questions.
Rodville
It also works in a microwave. Although I wouldn't leave it in there more than a few seconds.
NooPogodi
I'm usually asking questions anyway
itsallaboutthecones
People are normally asking me the questions.
NooPogodi
Are you a high voltage line?
zFUBARz
My uncle has lines along the front of his property, he's absolutely done this.
CarpetheCarp
Really?! They’re building shitty over priced townhomes under one of those in my town (USA).
sixtimesseven
They do. Used to have a Christmas tree farm under some nearby my home town. They'd give you a florescent light to navigate when the sun went down. You had to cut your own so you needed it.
freezingpilot
You had to cut your own light?
Gegenschein
Yep, they had a couple fluorescent tube trees mixed in with the pines and firs
ahorseelbowdeepinme
I can hold a violet wand in one hand and a CFL in the other and do the same, China ain't special /gallery/4Zkfjlp
Arcygenical
Power companies hate this one trick.
AntiProtonBoy
It’s true, I believe someone did an art installation like that, where a bunch of tubes were set up in a paddock under the power lines.
travisamills3
Yeah I did in college at the Niagara falls power authority. Most uncomfortable feeling in my hands. Trying to upload the pics
travisamills3
https://photos.app.goo.gl/HuwTKfYpxR2MCAyf8
They're in there with others
pixelscapes
Nice egg. The branch sculpture is thematic, too.
IWantToHugEveryCat
Kuwabara kuwabara.
aShogunNamedMarcus
It's just like what that tarot card warmed me of
JimmyGTraveler
St Elmo’s Fire
AvsFreak
Great. Now I have the song stuck in my head.
YouTubeRed
sound
WuProgress
ChanceVLuck
How much did they charge you for that umbrella?
definitelynotafakename
A shocking amount
CapttainKillJoy
Ever seen what happens to a wiener when you touch it to an AM tower?
qwertylesh
instructions unclear?
Hashbrown123
*unzips* The things I do for science.
Pavloval
Did you know that in the US, if you try to make use of that electricity, the power company can have charges pressed against you?
treknor
weirdos
BlastyMcBlastblast
plenty of farmers have tried powering their sheds from fencing wire running parallel to the power lines :D
xj4low
Just get a bunch of florescent tube lights and they will light up.
JH1414
Is this a joke? But people in thread seems serious…
MoopsyLD
nice pun
Pavloval
I noticed that as I was writing, was actually thinking of rephrasing to avoid that. Then I thought, Naw, let's see if anyone notices. Congratulations, you're the only one to have mentioned it!
RobBobertyYT
Are you surprised that it's illegal to steal electrical energy?
RobBobertyYT
Or were you making an electricity pun?
Pavloval
I'm not surprised but I know others are and it usually gets people excited. And the electricity pun was actually unintended and free of charge. I thought about removing it, but heck, it might give someone a jolt.
mikeatike
I think they weren't aware that it actually makes the generators have to turn harder, it isn't wasted power
hellfirerains
You can have charges pressed on you for just about anything. Gotta keep the prisons full
Rauca
Who else is gonna make all those licence plates.
FurtiveGlancer
What do you mean? It's plain and simple - there are laws - break any and you get charged and more...
hellfirerains
And there are laws that criminalize just about everything, and if you aren't doing something that is explicitly illegal, they are worded so vaguely that a lawyer can twist it so what you did is actually illegal.
FurtiveGlancer
No
hellfirerains
You can deny it all you want, it doesn't change facts. Thankfully, there are checks and balances in place to prevent corruption, but if a judge wants to throw you in jail, you are going to jail
Onlyhereforthelaughs
Same way the city comes after you sometimes for collecting rainwater.
khora
That is a very different way, unless the city paid for the water to become rain in the first place.
Onlyhereforthelaughs
Basically the city has "Dibs" on any water that WOULD go into the storm drain, so by diverting that water you are stealing from the city. I wish I was kidding.
khora
Unless they bottle and ship out the rain water the city will get it eventually.
TK421isAFK
Every time someone brings this up and I ask for a link, it's always a misunderstanding of cities regulating water *storage*, not the 1/2
TK421isAFK
collection of rain. They don't want unsafe nor unsanitary water storage becoming a health and safety problem or mosquito problem. 2/2
howcanyourunwithanarrowinyourknee
NZSheeps
Meanwhile, in New Zealand,
NZSheeps
https://www.1news.co.nz/2024/06/24/crew-removed-too-many-nuts-from-bottom-of-pylon-before-collapse/
nakedriver
Well, that tower is clearly well grounded.
shackman
Derecho in Houston
NZSheeps
Hurricane?
shackman
It was a weird storm event called a derecho. Some lost power for over a week. Then a hurricane hit about a month later and people lost power for over a week again. Hurray!!!
NZSheeps
TIL https://www.weather.gov/lmk/derecho
nomorehate
So can someone explain this to my friend who doesn't know much about electricity other than it makes you go ouchie?
OliverOtter
What barbarian818 said, but also this: the ribs aren't the same length as the shaft of the umbrella, so they are antennas to different frequencies. One of them is much more perfect for the frequency of the AC current in the transmission lines than the other(s), and so reach(es) a much higher induced voltage than the other(s). That difference was enough to equalize between them through a little trail of plasma created by it stripping valence electrons right off the air molecules.
Hoogemast
And to add to that. You dont necessarily need a lot of current to create a trail of plasma. So it is most likely completely harmless.
barbarian818
Basically: alternating electricity running through wires makes for moving magnetic fields. If powerful enough, those magnetic fields can induce current in nearby metal. The ribs are building enough charge this way to jump the nylon sleeve between canopy and handle. From there it goes into the person and down into the ground.
putcleverusernamehere
"induction"
nomorehate
That's awesome, thank you for an explanation that made sense!
nomorehate
Okay, if you touched that arc in the umbrella it would hurt right? Like a static shock or more electric fence?
mezzomike
Only one way to find out ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
nomorehate
Well, there are some massive power lines up the mountain from me and we are expecting some thunderstorms with the hurricane coming later this week 🤔 (I'm kidding lol)
barbarian818
Yes. High voltage but low current. That spark is big enough, bright enough and fat enough to imply a much worse shock than your average doorknob shock. So definitely electric fence territory
nomorehate
Cool beans!