Which of these Lightning myths are true?

Question

Does 'Ball Lightning' exist? What is it?

You shouldn't be...

...in the shower during a lightning storm.

...on the phone during a lightning storm.

You should turn off everything in your entire house, even if it is on a surge-protector power-strip.

Lightning is as hot as the surface of the sun.

Lightning goes both directions, from the cloud to the ground and vice versa.

People that have been hit by lightning and lived, have developed certain mental abilities.

Answer 1

The last two aren't true.  Lightning does travel once it hits the ground, but it won't travel back to the sky.

Answer 2

ball lightning does exist (static electricity can be ball form

then next two are true

im pretty sure lightning is hotter than the sun

it does go both ways

maybe mental problems but abilities are unlikely

Answer 3

All are true.

However, the last one needs explanation.  Most often, after a person is hit by lightning, mental changes occur.  One may or may not consider the mental changes in this man hit by lightning as positive.  However, it is worth the read:

http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2007/...

Forgot this:

Ball lightning exists but no one knows what it is.  Below is a copy and paste:

"Is this phenomenon related to ball lightning? No one knows, because no one knows what ball lightning is, and it might not be a spark at all. St. Elmo's fire is sometimes mistaken for ball lightning. Among other differences, ball lightning can drift around like a soap bubble, while St. Elmo's Fire always remains attached to an object.

http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=000C...

Answer 4

They are all true to a certain extent as explained below.

Ball lightning does exist.  Ball lightning is an atmospheric phenomenon, the physical nature of which is still controversial. The term refers to reports of luminous, usually spherical objects which vary from pea-sized to several meters in diameter.

The first rule for lightning safety is get indoors immediately.  You shouldn't be in the shower or on a corded phone during a lightning storm.

You should unplug all appliances before the storm and unplug the phone line from the computer.  Computers get fried through the phone line more often than the electrical wairing.  You don't need to turn off lights or fans.

Lightning does go both ways.  It moves from the ground up, then back down on the pathway created.  That's why, if you feel your hair raising, drop to the ground so you won't be the highest object around, but NOT under a tree.

Many survivors of lightning strikes report that right before being struck by lightning their hair was standing on end and they had a metallic taste in their mouth.

A single lightning bolt is about 50,000°F or 5 times hotter than the surface of the sun.

Many people have been struck by lightning and lived.  In fact, the referenced web site says to treat the "dead" first, because the lightning may have stopped their heart, but they can be revived with quick treatment.  I haven't heard or found anything about survivors developing any unsual mental abilities.

Answer 5

I would say everything but turning off everything isn't necessary.  

Ball lightning is created by piezoelectric effect of quartz.  When it is squeezed, quartz produces electricity.  When quartz is squeezed over a large area, the excess electricity might form ball lightning.

Answer 6

all of them are true, except for the last two

Answer 7

The first is true.

The plumbing associated with the shower would ground the lighting, Al thou you still could get a possible lethal dose.

Lightening has been known to go through the phone wiring to someone on the phone.

Turning off all appliances in the home helps guard against lightning strikes, but is no guarantee the bolt won't jump through the cords to the appliance anyway. Unplugging the device from all incoming connections is the only safe method.

Lightning reaches 50,000 degrees F. The surface of the sun is app. 10,000 degrees F. and rises to over a million degree as you travel away from it due to the friction and torquing and the magnetic fluxing of the sun's corona.

Lightning does travel both ways. Most of the lightning strikes between land and clouds is actually from the land to the cloud,

And the reason the flash seems to pulse is due to the bolt traveling back and forth from cloud to ground. This pulsing can be seen with a snap shot taken with a camera moving horizontally while taking a picture of the struck.

It's possible for a person to develop several types or mental and physical  problem because of being struck by lightning. But it is usually something physical. Something it will cause cancer to develop because of the disruption of body cells.

Answer 8

All except the last 2..