Can we control lightning?

The ability to control the power of lightning can be mimicked by very powerful lasers. These lasers, which require van-sized power sources, are used to heat and ionise the air. Heating and ionising the air clears a path for lightning by freeing electrons from particles in the air allowing a current to flow. However, harnessing lightning from nature is still out of our reach as we can’t predict which thunderclouds will form lightning.

Approved