Do Mobile Phones Attract Lightning?

from the apparently-they-do-in-China dept

Mon, Jul 26th 2004 2:11am — Mike Masnick

China is warning people not to use mobile phones during thunderstorms after a report that fifteen people were injured when a mobile phone acted as a lightening rod. The story certainly has all the elements of an urban legend, so it seemed worthwhile to dig a bit deeper on this one. According to a hoax-busting site, this story has been making the rounds over email for quite some time, with no facts to support it. In fact, many sites recommend you use a mobile phone rather than a fixed line phone in a thunderstorm, since they're much safer. While the news article quotes a professor claiming that "the electromagnetic waves emitted by mobile phones are quite good conductors of electricity," the hoax busting site quotes someone from Motorola saying: "No, lightning won't 'follow the radio waves' back to your phone.... I really doubt that 600 mW of omnidirectional RF can ionize anything, let alone make a more conductive path between the clouds and ground. It does make a nice urban legend, though." From the sound of all this, it sounds like the injuries in question from the article may simply be because the people struck by lightning were the tallest items around (they were standing on the Great Wall) and not because of the mobile phone someone was using.

Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.

Techdirt is one of the few remaining truly independent media outlets. We do not have a giant corporation behind us, and we rely heavily on our community to support us, in an age when advertisers are increasingly uninterested in sponsoring small, independent sites — especially a site like ours that is unwilling to pull punches in its reporting and analysis.

While other websites have resorted to paywalls, registration requirements, and increasingly annoying/intrusive advertising, we have always kept Techdirt open and available to anyone. But in order to continue doing so, we need your support. We offer a variety of ways for our readers to support us, from direct donations to special subscriptions and cool merchandise — and every little bit helps. Thank you.

–The Techdirt Team

32 Comments

If you liked this post, you may also be interested in...

Reader Comments

Subscribe: RSS

View by: Time | Thread

dorpus, 26 Jul 2004 @ 12:21pm

What about green lightning from the sky?
What if someone points an illegal 15-milliwatt laser at an Olympic athlete to temporarily blind them? You can buy these things over the net. The power to blind entire crowds of people at the push of a button.

http://www.megalaser.com/20.htm
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 27 Jul 2004 @ 10:51am

Techdirt attracks dorpus
Techdirt attracks dorpus
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Me again, 15 Jan 2007 @ 9:01pm

all lies
Myself and many like minded people have high powered laser pointers from sellers such as www.dragonlasers.com

We do not advocate the unsafe use of laser pointers. Laser pointers are no different from guns. It is the user who is dangerous, not the tool.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
luvlasers, 30 Jan 2007 @ 12:02am

lasers are awesome
As a long time owner of a Wicked Lasers from www.wickedlasers.com, I can tell you that there is no safe uses for these laser pointers. They are overpowered, and too dangerous to use in any setting outside a controlled Class A laboratory. My Wicked Laser is locked up with my service gun in my safe.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Me again, 31 Jan 2007 @ 7:03pm

all lies
luvlasers,

What I can tell you is Wicked Lasers are not overpowered. From experience, because most of my customers from my website, dragonlasers.com do not own laser power meters, they don't know what they are getting.

Hell, we send out 50mW lasers when the customers pay for the 125mW lasers, and we almost never get a complaint, beat that Wicked!
[ link to this | view in thread ]
poltergeist, 16 May 2007 @ 12:51am

Re: all lies
This is such an obvious attempt by to defame Dragonalasers. No one with an IQ higher than a retarded cockroache would publicly state they cheat customers.

Every one else i know who have bought from Dragonlasers and myself have nothing but praise for them. Check any laser forum not owned by wickedlasers for proof to easily substantiate this claim.

They clearly state on their website at www.dragonlasers.com they have an excellent return policy and if you have a problem, they even offer life support online.

If you have a personal grudge with Dragonlasers
I suggest you get a life and do something productive with your time.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Jack Mandeville, 31 Jul 2007 @ 7:12pm

Lightning and cell phones
There are new antenna designs that enable great quantities of energy to enter resonating antennas. While no conventional engineering theory applies, I,for one, will not be using my cell phone in a rain storm.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
William Daniel, 27 Oct 2007 @ 6:43pm

NASA's jack mandeville
Hello Jack,
are you my solar heat pump buddy who designed space systems at one time?
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Jade in Beijing, 9 Mar 2008 @ 12:49am

Better safe than sorry
There might be an unknown mechanism that creates the danger. I wouldnt want to personally test it! Jade Great Wall photos
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Jack Mandeville, 4 Jun 2008 @ 7:10pm

Re: NASA's jack mandeville
William Daniel: You got me. I'm in Nevada now. Let's chat.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
daniel, 9 Oct 2008 @ 8:46am

I bought a high power green laser pointer at with awesome cheap price.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
laser pointers, 12 Jul 2009 @ 8:17pm

i am using my mobile phone, even there is a lightning, thanks for this story
[ link to this | view in thread ]
chloeelvis (profile), 19 May 2010 @ 1:18am

astronomy laser pointer
you will find the special designed astronomy laser pointer on sale in cheap price.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Alex Bony, 2 Jun 2010 @ 6:44pm

thanks for your good story. I have got a high power portable green laser, it's pretty cool!
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Alex Bony, 2 Jun 2010 @ 6:44pm

thanks for your good story. I have got a high power portable green laser, it's pretty cool!
[ link to this | view in thread ]
erickson, 29 Jun 2010 @ 12:08am

I have some wonderful experience of high power green laser pointer for sharing. They are pretty cool!
[ link to this | view in thread ]
lasersman, 23 Nov 2010 @ 7:39pm

lasersman
good!!! thanks for your sharing you will find the special designed astronomy laser on sale in cheap price.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
John of Laserpointerworld, 2 Dec 2010 @ 7:56pm

Fine day! It is really good to have a green laser pointer used at night. Visit our collection at a low price. Free shipping is also available.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Laser Pointer, 11 Jul 2011 @ 2:30am

Lasers
That news is an old news I think. But then, There is no proof that the cause of the strike is on the signal of the phone that rings.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Pozorrubians, 27 Jul 2011 @ 8:11pm

Pozorrubio
Now I know not to use cellphone during thunderstorm. Thanks for that!
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Roberto, 15 Oct 2012 @ 7:34pm

Green laser pointer
If you want a ture power laser for cheap I think there will be just one option. http://lazerer.com/
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Arijeet, 23 May 2014 @ 2:15pm

Buffet!
"That's All Folks" !
[ link to this | view in thread ]
tozca leather, 21 Aug 2014 @ 3:52am

new article information
I extremely want to browse this post, and I agree creating use in the troubles in which making. I suppose appropriate in todays post is amongst the excellent impression. I'm intending there is to carry out a few factor you wish to once watching.
jaket kulit pria

Jaket Kulit Asli Domba
[ link to this | view in thread ]
jaket kulit, jaket kulit murah, jaket kulit asli, 12 Sep 2014 @ 6:38pm

nice posting
its veri nice posting for me :)
[ link to this | view in thread ]
konveksi jaket kulit, 16 Dec 2014 @ 7:41pm

i am using my mobile phone, even there is a lightning, thanks for this story
[ link to this | view in thread ]
jual jaket kulit asli, 25 Feb 2015 @ 1:36am

nice info
blogs that provide quality information and can be reperensi for us all thank you admin
[ link to this | view in thread ]
harga tas wanita, 20 Mar 2015 @ 3:16am

good post
Thank you for this article. I'm glad accesses the net this stuff works and your article has really helped me from beginning to end
[ link to this | view in thread ]
laser alignment, 27 Apr 2015 @ 6:42pm

nice post
I have read this article for many times. Any abuse of high powered laser pointers might be greatly hazard to human eyes. Do be cautious with laser pointer and enjoy laser fan freely.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
ace, 12 Sep 2015 @ 1:22pm

posting good info
add insight into a broad and obtain useful information thanks admin.http://jualjaketkulit.co.id visit back my website
[ link to this | view in thread ]
asa, 18 Sep 2015 @ 7:59am

posting artikel
many places to add useful knowledge, such as a visit to this website thank you admin..jaket kulit murah visit my website
[ link to this | view in thread ]
aza, 12 Oct 2015 @ 1:41am

artike goog euyy
we can no longer deny each blog provide useful news and useful for all who visit. http://jaketkulitpria.co.id visit back yah
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Technopop, 31 Aug 2017 @ 12:42pm

wifi frequency
lighting is in the same frequency range as wifi broadband, that phones are equipped with now.
[ link to this | view in thread ]