Myths and Misconceptions

There are many old-wives tales concerning lightning. Which are not true though?

1. Lightning never strikes the same place twice. [False! It's said to have hit the Empire State Building several times a year.]

2. Lightning rods will control lightning. [False again! Lightning rods neither attract nor control lightning. When lightning DOES decide to strike and a rod happens to be in the vicinity of the stroke, it can help prevent some damage from occurring to nearby objects.]

3. Lightning only strikes tall objects. [False! Lightning strikes anything that which is in the path of least resistance. This doesn't necessarily mean it'll strike the tallest thing.]

4. Rubber shoes or boots is a form of insulation, which will protect me from lightning strikes. [False! Lightning bolts have traveled through miles of air, which is also a form of insulation. Therefore, a bit of rubber isn't going to stop its progress.]