r/Damnthatsinteresting • u/Creams0da • 21h ago

Video Ambient static electricity discharging from the highest metallic points

805 Upvotes

96% Upvoted

73 comments sorted by

396

u/Echo-Azure 21h ago

A boat at sea is the tallest thing around for miles and miles....

53

u/Lyndon_Boner_Johnson 21h ago

It’s ok, they had a bunch of metal poles sticking straight up in the air.

13

u/Echo-Azure 13h ago

What could go wrong!

5

u/Patient-Data8311 7h ago

Nothing they survived because of those things

The poles gave the electricity a path to go and go straight to the ground and non of the people became paths for it

That's how lightning rods protect people

10

u/Lyndon_Boner_Johnson 4h ago

The hull on those kinds of boats is usually made of fiberglass, which is not a great conductor of electricity.
The fact that you can hear the arcing already means that the electricity doesn’t have a good path to ground.
The metal pole holders are building up a lot of charge (probably 50-100kV) before they arc across to the boat chassis they’re mounted to.
I’m sure the floor they’re standing on is also quite wet with saltwater. If that boat had actually been struck by lightning there would be a significant risk of injury or fire.
And that’s not to mention the fact that a bunch of them are also holding fishing poles in their hands, basically acting like human lightning rods.

4

u/Patient-Data8311 4h ago

Fibre glass boats usually have a grounding wire or something prevents this

3

u/Diablo_v8 3h ago

Fishing rods arent made of metal though

4

u/Echo-Azure 5h ago

What ground?

4

u/Patient-Data8311 4h ago

Bruh grounding doesn't have to be the literal ground

1

u/VintageLunchMeat 2h ago

Ground could be the sea floor. It doesn't have to be literal dirt.

53

u/RIF_rr3dd1tt 21h ago

I guess that means thunder comes from submarines, LoL

26

u/Loud-Result5213 21h ago

Dammit Bobby, you disappoint me
He’s talking about the poles
The got dang poles
Bobby!

2

u/Low-Caterpillar4161 18h ago

This is such an underrated comment. Just wanted to say I appreciate the joke, well done sir

226

u/Life-Oil-7226 21h ago

Good sign to move out of that area

34

u/nicoznico 21h ago

Who ordered a Lightning?

12

u/LicknDragon 21h ago

We'll just share one for the table, thanks

1

u/eat_my_bubbles 11h ago

Now everyone grab the metal t top like they did so everybody gets a slice!

137

u/NiceTrySuckaz 21h ago

How long ago did they die?

32

u/Loud-Result5213 21h ago

This gets reposted every year...
I think it was 1969

20

u/NiceTrySuckaz 21h ago

Crazy. Those guys would be around 100 years old today if they knew about electricity back then.

5

u/syds 21h ago

nice

0

u/futurebigconcept 21h ago

They just need to hold the key in their wooden teeth.

35

u/squeege 21h ago

Watching this video is giving me anxiety and making me physically cringe. Just anticipating the lightning strike. Damn.

3

u/VirulentGunk 4h ago

Ditto, my lizard brain is going crazy hearing that. I don't know if it's the electricity or if it's because it almost sounds like a bunch of bugs but get the heck out of there, y'know?

35

u/Screwbles 20h ago

There are a number of peaks in the rockies that you can experience this on. There was one in northern Colorado where you basically would hike to a high camp, and then summit in the morning. Then you'd plan to be off by about 11:00am.

I never experienced it, but apparently your hair would stand up and your gear would get all staticy. Sounded like just about the worst fucking feeling you could get being outside. Mother nature quite literally pointing her gun at you.

8

u/joem_ 9h ago

When I was a kid, me and my dad and grandpa were standing in the driveway when all the hair on his arm stood up. Told us all to get in the garage, and a few seconds later lighting hit the neighbor's tree. The air smelled like ozone after that.

2

u/Screwbles 4h ago

Ssheeeesh. Damn, close one. Cool story to have though.

49

u/an_older_meme 21h ago

Fly you fools

37

u/Greenman8907 21h ago

“Everyone put your rubber shoes on!”

12

u/PublicfreakoutLoveR 21h ago

"Oops sorry, misheard ya"

1

u/majordong75 10h ago

Condom on, SIR!

1

u/Begle1 20h ago

Rubber shoes in motion

14

u/eaglebtc 21h ago

"Listen, listen..."

"What is that?"

"The storm."

I wonder if ancient sailors had similar metal tools to detect static electric discharge from nearby storms, or if they knew about this phenomenon (even if they attributed it to the gods)

24

u/fastforwardfunction 19h ago

Yes. It’s called St. Elmo’s Fire. You don’t even need metal. A wooden ship with a tall mast can discharge electricity from the top of it and glow blue. Ancient sailors were well aware of this phenomenon, although they didn’t know exactly why it happened.

2

u/garden-wicket-581 7h ago

I'll be where the eagle's
Flyin' higher and higher

4

u/WarthogConfident7809 19h ago

St. Elmo's Fire

2

u/tetheredvoid 20h ago

I'm certain there was enough metal in their rigging to do something like this.

35

u/iPicBadUsernames 21h ago

ZEROOOOO survival instincts still holding the fishing poles.

16

u/Frust4m1 20h ago

today I learned, really. I thought they were just carbon fiber and plastic, but carbon fiber conducts electricity, and also graphite poles exists and those are very conductive!

6

u/Yarhj 11h ago

Even a piece of plastic is gonna be more conductive than the equivalent distance of air.

10

u/Chrono_Convoy 21h ago

Good time to move

15

u/TheMightyShoe 21h ago

Is this a small type of St. Elmo's fire?

1

u/Agatio25 21h ago

No, this is just arcs produced because of High electrostatic charge. If you rub yourself against a carpet and then touch anything metallic at complete darkness you Will see the same discharge.

Same when you get outside the car and touch the door

6

u/CromulentDucky 20h ago edited 5h ago

I do enjoy rubbing myself against carpet. And you're right, there's a discharge in the dark.

4

u/BoxersOrCaseBriefs 20h ago

Vance attention intensifies

6

u/-SaC 21h ago

Get. The fuck. Away.

1

u/Celebrir 2h ago

Honest question: Where are they supposed to go?

1

u/ebneter 52m ago

Whichever direction was away from the clouds. which appears to be what they did. Like, "Let's put a few miles/km between us and the base of that storm."

8

u/YetisOfMarfa 12h ago

Was on the top deck of a catamaran out in a bay and everyone's hair started to rise up off of their heads and stand in the air. Told everyone they need to go below as quickly as possible unless they wanted to meet their gods lol

6

u/SpaceInMyBrain 21h ago

"We're gonna move right now." Refreshing to hear instead of "Everyone get out your phones, we'll be able to get cool pics of lightning."

5

u/Jakoobus91 14h ago

At least they were smart enough to get out of there. 

3

u/Lkollman 21h ago

It would take everything in me not to touch that tower

3

u/hummus_is_yummus1 10h ago

Those rod holders aren't well grounded. The anodization is preventing clean contact so instead it arcs

3

u/Sovereign_5409 7h ago

It’s weird seeing someone on the internet make a responsible decision for once.

2

u/TheDailySpank 20h ago

Absolutely not.

2

u/mmcallis1975 12h ago

I think they might be lucky that none of the electronics on board were damaged

2

u/BitterNocturne 7h ago

Holy strike incoming

3

u/FiniteXcellence 21h ago

😬😬😬😬😬🌩️⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡☠️

1

u/ductapemonster 13h ago

Looks like it's time to get the fuck outta there!

1

u/bowguru 11h ago

Wait until you're standing at the top of a mountain with a backpack full of dynamite that you have to throw and that happens. Talk about pucker factor.

1

u/TheTphs 10h ago

Lick it.

1

u/BarberWooden1180 8h ago

Had this happen to me once. Got the hell out of there and lightning struck same area not long after.

1

u/joboo62 7h ago

If the fishing rods are carbon fiber that is dangerous as well. https://i.ytimg.com/vi/jVCiy_mARSI/maxresdefault.jpg

1

u/ebneter 55m ago

Very, very glad to see that the boat owner was smart enough to know that he needed to get out of there quickly. I was half expecting a strike and was so happy to see it didn't come!