A lightning bolt strikes in Iowa.
Kevin Skow | Courtesy of NOAA
Grab your raincoat, and join Molly and co-host Lily as they float into the clouds to learn about lightning! They’ll explore how lightning is made and what it takes to stay safe during thunderstorms. To close with a bang, Molly will slip on her Thunderpants and host an electrifying lightning-themed game show. But don’t bolt too soon. We’ve got a mystery sound reveal that promises to shock!
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SUBJECT: You're listening to Brains On!, where we're serious about being curious.
SUBJECT: Brains On! Is supported in part by a grant from the National Science Foundation.
MARC SANCHEZ: OK, Molly. Your new thunder pants are ready. Why do you need these again?
MOLLY BLOOM: For today's lightning-themed game show, Marc. You know I always like sporting fresh fashion when I host.
MARC SANCHEZ: For a podcast where no one can see you?
MOLLY BLOOM: That's why I asked you to make the thunder pants extra loud.
MARC SANCHEZ: Well, I did my best. Ta-da! I used every pattern imaginable and several unimaginable ones, too.
MOLLY BLOOM: Wow. They are very busy.
MARC SANCHEZ: Yeah. Most designers recommend against using paisley and plaid with pinstripes and zebra stripes. But I say, if it doesn't cause immediate vertigo, is it really fashion?
MOLLY BLOOM: I feel nauseous just looking at them. But are they loud enough?
MARC SANCHEZ: What? This is the loudest pair of pants I could make. I can't make them any louder.
MOLLY BLOOM: Really? Because I don't hear anything.
MARC SANCHEZ: Hear anything? What? What do you mean? I thought you wanted loud thunder pants. Loud like clashing, garish, brightly colored, and unmissable.
MOLLY BLOOM: What? No. I mean, like literally loud. I wanted pants that rumble when I wiggle, crack when I jump, and thunk when I shake my trunk. You know? Pants that make thunder sounds.
MARC SANCHEZ: Oh. Thunder pants. I get it now. OK. I'm going to have to modify these a little. You still want paisley and plaid though, right?
MOLLY BLOOM: Definitely. When I stare at all those clashing patterns, I can literally taste my thoughts.
MARC SANCHEZ: Yeah. That's what I was going for. Stand back. One extra loud pair of pants coming right up.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
MOLLY BLOOM: You're listening to Brains On! from APM Studios. I'm your host, Molly Bloom. And my co-host today is Lily from Brooks, Alberta, Canada. Hi, Lily.
SUBJECT: Hi, Molly.
MOLLY BLOOM: Today, we're talking about the flashiest, zappiest, most electrifying of all weather phenomena, lightning.
[LIGHTNING CRACKLES]
SUBJECT: Wow. Did lightning just strike right when you said that?
MOLLY BLOOM: Yep. Just one of the perks of being the host of Brains On!, weather on demand. We've gotten a lot of questions from our listeners about lightning.
SUBJECT: My name is Ellie and I'm from San Mateo, California. I was wondering what causes lightning.
SUBJECT: My name is Luke and I'm from Los Gatos, California. And my question is, how does lightning form in the sky?
SUBJECT: Hi. My name is August.
SUBJECT: Hi. My name is Nell.
SUBJECT: And we live in Coburn, North Carolina.
SUBJECT: And we are wondering, how does lightning work?
SUBJECT: Hi. My name is Malcolm and I'm from Oro, Colorado. My question is, what makes lightning happen?
SUBJECT: My name is Liliana. I live in Brooks, Alberta, Canada. My question is, what is the science behind lightning? It's been rainy and had lots of lightning here for the past few days. I was wondering what made that happen.
MOLLY BLOOM: Thanks to Ellie, Luke, August, Nell, Malcolm, and Lily for sharing their questions about flashy fabulous lightning. And Lily, that last question was from you. And it made me wonder, when was the last time you saw lightning?
SUBJECT: I think I was with my brothers. And my little brother got really scared and he ran outside. And we said, going outside is probably not the best place to go if you're scared of lightning.
MOLLY BLOOM: That is good advice. Very good advice. So what do you know about lightning?
SUBJECT: I know that lightning forms from electrons creating electricity. And that's kind of it.
MOLLY BLOOM: OK. We're going to learn so much today.
SUBJECT: Yes.
MOLLY BLOOM: So you said your brother is scared of lightning. Are you scared of it, too?
SUBJECT: No. I think it's pretty fascinating. That's one of the reasons why I sent in a question about it.
MOLLY BLOOM: Very cool. So when there is a thunderstorm going on with lightning, what do you do during it?
SUBJECT: Well, me and my dad like to watch it on our deck.
MOLLY BLOOM: Yeah. I love a good thunderstorm in the summer. It's very fun to watch. So yeah, lots of people have seen lightning at some point. But it can be really hard to wrap your head around what it is and how it happens? Even though it feels almost like magic, it can be explained with science.
[LIGHTNING CRACKLES]
SUBJECT: Whoa. Nice dramatic effect, Molly.
MOLLY BLOOM: Thank you, Lily. So let's start with what lightning is. When you look up and see a big bolt of lightning zigzagging across the sky, what you're really seeing is one giant zap of electricity. Electricity is everywhere in our world.
SUBJECT: We use it to light our homes, power our computers, and even make microwave popcorn.
MOLLY BLOOM: Right. You can find electricity in lots of other places, too. Like, have you ever rubbed a balloon on your head and your hair has stood straight up, or pulled a shirt out of the dryer and felt a little zap on your fingers?
SUBJECT: That's electricity, too.
MOLLY BLOOM: Some animals like the electric eel even use electricity to stun their prey.
SUBJECT: And believe it or not, the human body makes its own electricity.
MOLLY BLOOM: We use it to send little signals all over our bodies. They tell us when to move, think, and feel. It makes our hearts beat, our muscles move, and makes it possible to think thoughts.
SUBJECT: So in a way, we're electric, too.
MOLLY BLOOM: Yes. And all electricity, whether it's in a bolt of lightning or in your body, starts with atoms.
SUBJECT: Atoms are the teeny tiny building blocks that make up everything in the universe. Atoms are so small, we can't see them with our eyes.
MOLLY BLOOM: Luckily, we have our handy-dandy zoom right here. So we can take a quick glance at an atom and find out what they have to do with electricity. Care to do the honors, Lily?
SUBJECT: I'd love to. Ooh, I think I see one.
SUBJECT: You can see me? This is so exciting. Hi. Hello.
MOLLY BLOOM: Hello. It's great to meet you.
SUBJECT: Atom. Atom the atom. Actually, we're all named Atom.
MOLLY BLOOM: Interesting. Nice to meet you, Atom. Lily and I are working on a podcast episode about lightning. And we thought it would be helpful to start by understanding atoms.
SUBJECT: Amazing instinct. We atoms really are the foundation of everything. Lily, when you look through the zoom ray, what do you see?
SUBJECT 1: In the center of the atom, or you, I guess, there's a blob and then a bunch of little specks circling around it.
SUBJECT: Exactly. That blob is called the nucleus. Then there are those specks that zoom around the nucleus. Those are my electrons. Electrons are really important when talking about electricity.
MOLLY BLOOM: So even though electrons are part of the atom, they aren't attached to the nucleus.
SUBJECT: Correct again. Electrons are attracted to the nucleus, kind of like magnets. But since they aren't physically connected to the nucleus, they can get knocked off course. So let's say I'm just hanging out when all of a sudden, I bump into another electron, and that can really rattle my electrons. In fact, some of my electrons might actually hop over and start to zoom around the nucleus of the other atom instead of me. Here, let me get my friend Atom to help me demonstrate. Atom?
SUBJECT: Yes, Atom?
SUBJECT: Bump into me.
SUBJECT: I thought you'd never ask. Here I come.
SUBJECT: Oh, I didn't realize you would do that with such gusto. Anyway, look. Atom has one of my electrons now.
SUBJECT: Oh yeah. Hey, new electron buddy.
SUBJECT: And when the electrons move around, that leaves both of us feeling out of balance.
SUBJECT: Ooh yeah. I am not into this at all, Atom. Makes me feel wobbly.
SUBJECT: This transfer of electrons between atoms is where electricity comes from.
SUBJECT: Exactly. It's important to know that we atoms do not like having too many or too few electrons. So if we are out of whack, we will try hard to return to our original state. So if you don't mind, Atom, can I please give you back this electron?
SUBJECT: Of course, Atom.
SUBJECT: Much better. Thanks, Atom.
MOLLY BLOOM: Amazing. This all makes sense now. Thank you so much for all your help, Atoms.
SUBJECT: Of course.
SUBJECT: Come say hi again sometime soon. Bye!
SUBJECT: Bye.
MOLLY BLOOM: Bye Bye.
SUBJECT: Bye Atoms.
MOLLY BLOOM: Now that we understand that electricity is just electrons passing between atoms, let's head up to the clouds to see how one of the zigzaggiest kinds of electricity, lightning, is made. Did you remember to bring your raincoat, Lily?
SUBJECT: Of course. And I brought my matching rain hat and rain boots.
MOLLY BLOOM: Oh, so stylish. Let's go.
SUBJECT: Whoa. It's windy up here and so cold.
MOLLY BLOOM: I know. That's the thing about storm clouds. They can be really, really tall, sometimes more than 10 miles tall. That's higher than most planes fly. And because they're so tall, the top of the cloud can be pretty chilly.
SUBJECT: Oof. Is that why there's all these little frozen chunks of ice flying around?
MOLLY BLOOM: Exactamundo. There are lots of little water droplets inside the cloud, and some of them freeze into ice crystals. Other droplets become something called graupel.
SUBJECT: I've heard of this. Graupel are soft, frozen ice pellets.
MOLLY BLOOM: Scientists are still figuring out exactly how lightning forms, but they think graupel are important.
SUBJECT: Oh, I think I see one over there.
MOLLY BLOOM: Oh yeah. That is definitely one grumpy graupel.
SUBJECT: I'm not grumpy. I'm just trying to relax. But all these ice crystals are zipping around all fast and furious like-- hey, watch where you're going.
SUBJECT: Seems pretty grumpy to me.
MOLLY BLOOM: Because it's so windy inside the cloud, the ice crystals and graupel are getting blown every which way, like a snow globe when you shake it up. And since the graupel are heavy little pellets, they fall down towards the bottom of the storm cloud.
SUBJECT: The ice crystals are smaller and lighter, so they float up towards the top of the cloud.
MOLLY BLOOM: And as the ice crystals and graupel are getting blown all around, they start whizzing really close to each other.
SUBJECT: Whoa. Did you see that ice crystal? Almost ran into me.
SUBJECT: Like everything else in the universe, ice crystals and graupel are made of atoms.
MOLLY BLOOM: And like we mentioned earlier, atoms have something called electrons that whizz around their center. When atoms bump into each other, those electrons can jump from atom to atom.
SUBJECT: Eventually, as all these ice crystals and graupel are flying around inside the cloud, they'll smack into each other.
MOLLY BLOOM: And one of the electrons from the ice crystal hops over to the graupel. This process happens over and over again, until there are a bunch of graupel with extra electrons.
SUBJECT: I'm just going to go and take a nap.
SUBJECT: In nature, atoms don't like having too many electrons or too few. They want to be balanced.
MOLLY BLOOM: So when an atom ends up with extra electrons, it often passes those electrons onto other atoms.
SUBJECT: Which brings us back to our graupel. On the ground, there are atoms that really want the extra electrons the graupel have.
MOLLY BLOOM: And that creates a strong attraction between the bottom of the cloud, where the graupel are hanging out with all their extra electrons, and the stuff on the ground that wants those extra electrons.
SUBJECT: When that attraction gets strong enough--
[LIGHTNING CRACKLES]
MOLLY BLOOM: It creates electricity. And a bolt of lightning is released.
SUBJECT: This cycle happens again and again. That's why you often see multiple bolts of lightning in a storm.
MOLLY BLOOM: Scientists call this cloud-to-ground lightning and it's super common. About 100 bolts of lightning strike the Earth's surface every second.
SUBJECT: But there are all different types of lightning. You can have lightning bolts between clouds, from the ground up to a cloud, even lightning that looks like glowing balls.
MOLLY BLOOM: Wow. Lightning really is a superstar of the sky.
SUBJECT: I know, right?
[LIGHTNING CRACKLES]
MOLLY BLOOM: Pickle on a stick. That scared me.
SUBJECT: Me, too. Hey, have you ever heard someone say, you can tell how far away a storm is by counting how long it takes to hear thunder after you see lightning strike?
MOLLY BLOOM: Yes. And it's actually true. Here is how it works. Let's say a bolt of lightning shoots down.
[LIGHTNING CRACKLES]
It creates light which travels super fast. You'll see it almost instantly, even if you're far away. That lightning also heats up the air around it when it strikes. The warm air puffs out then cools super quickly, shrinking back in. This creates a big wave in the air that makes a powerful deep sound. But sound travels a lot more slowly than light. So even though you saw the flash right away, it'll be a few moments before that sound reaches your ears.
[LIGHTNING CRACKLES]
Generally, the sound of thunder travels one mile every five seconds.
SUBJECT: So if it takes 5 seconds for the sound to reach me, the lightning was 1 mile away. If it takes 10 seconds, the lightning was 2 miles away. And 15 seconds would be 3 miles.
MOLLY BLOOM: Yes. It's not an exact science though. Little things like the temperature of the air that day can affect how fast the sound travels. But if you hear thunder, even if it's far off, you should probably get inside to be safe.
SUBJECT: We'll have more tips on staying safe in a bit. Stick around.
SUBJECT: Brains. Brains. Brains.
MOLLY BLOOM: Speaking of awe-inspiring sounds, it's time for the--
SUBJECT: Mystery sound.
MOLLY BLOOM: Are you ready to hear it, Lily?
SUBJECT: Yes.
MOLLY BLOOM: All right. Here it is.
Hmm. I have no idea what this is either. I am stumped. What do you think?
SUBJECT: Maybe somebody's like rubbing a balloon on their head or their shirt?
MOLLY BLOOM: Nice. I like that guess.
SUBJECT: I don't know.
MOLLY BLOOM: Do you want to hear it again? Let's hear it again.
SUBJECT: Yeah.
I have a different guess now. Maybe it's like a paint roller, like rolling paint on a wall. I don't know.
MOLLY BLOOM: That's a very, very good guess. Well, we're going to hear it again, get another chance to guess, and hear the answer after the credits. So stick around. We are working on an episode about cavities, those tiny holes we sometimes get in our teeth. Nobody likes getting cavities. But luckily, brushing your teeth helps keep them from forming. So we want to hear from you.
If you could design the toothbrush of the future, what would it look like? Would it have lasers to zap the plaque off your teeth or a tiny little speaker so you could listen to music while you brush? Lily, what would your toothbrush of the future look like?
SUBJECT: I think it would be completely automatic so you don't have to do anything because I'm too lazy to brush my teeth.
MOLLY BLOOM: So like, would it be a machine that you just kind of stick in your mouth and let it go?
SUBJECT: Yeah. Or have a button on it that just does everything for you.
MOLLY BLOOM: That would be very convenient, especially when you're really tired first thing in the morning.
SUBJECT: Yeah.
MOLLY BLOOM: It's hard. It's hard to concentrate. Yeah, I like this idea. OK. So listeners, record yourself describing your super snazzy toothbrush of the future and send it to us at brainson.org/contact. And while you're there, you can send us mystery sounds, drawings, and questions.
SUBJECT: Like this one.
SUBJECT: Do butterflies sleep?
SUBJECT: Again, that's brainson.org/contact.
SUBJECT: And keep listening. You're listening to Brains On! I'm Lily.
MOLLY BLOOM: And I'm Molly. Today, we're talking about lightning.
SUBJECT: We just got back from a trip inside a storm cloud to see how lightning forms. We heard that atoms have electrons moving around them.
MOLLY BLOOM: And when two atoms bump into each other, those electrons jump from one atom to the other. This phenomenon helps create electricity. And it's super important for the formation of lightning.
SUBJECT: It's very inspiring stuff. In fact, we asked you to get inspired and write us a little song about lightning.
MOLLY BLOOM: And the songs you sent us lit up our lives.
SUBJECT: Hello. My name is Ollie.
SUBJECT: And my name is Esmé.
SUBJECT: And we are going to sing a song. Lightning, lightning, go away. Come again on Friday.
SUBJECT: My name is Noah from New South Wales, Australia. And this is my song about lightning.
(SINGING) Lightning, lightning, you're so cool. If you plan it, you're a fool. Go outside and watch the show. Come inside or you could blow. Lightning, lightning, you're so cool. Do not go in your pool.
SUBJECT: My name is Grace. This is my song for lightning. Boom, boom, boom, boom, ba. That is how lightning goes. Boom, boom, boom, boom, ba. Lightning, lightning, all around that makes a great sound.
SUBJECT: My name is Luke. And this is my lightning song. Lightning, lightning, dangerous. Don't go outside until it's quiet. Yes. Don't, don't, don't fly your kite. Don't dare. Your kite will get burned. Lightning stare!
SUBJECT: Hi, my name is Adam. I'm from Currie, North Carolina. And this is my lightning song.
MOLLY BLOOM: Big thanks to Ollie, Esmé, Noah, Grace, Luke, and Adam for those shockingly good ditties. Now, as cool as lightning is, it's also serious stuff.
SUBJECT: Yeah. It can be dangerous. You need to be careful when it's around to make sure you stay safe.
MOLLY BLOOM: Luckily, there are lots of ways to do that. Here to tell us more is an actual bolt of lightning. Welcome.
[LIGHTNING CRACKLES]
SUBJECT: Zap. I'm Larry, Larry the lightning bolt.
MOLLY BLOOM: Hey, Larry. Must be pretty cool to be a lightning bolt.
SUBJECT: Actually, it's super weird, Molly. Like, one minute, I'm just a bunch of electrons in a cloud. And the next thing, bam! I'm shooting across the sky and crashing into a tower. And everybody is looking at me. So embarrassing.
SUBJECT: Oof. Yeah. I hate when everyone is staring at me.
SUBJECT: For real. I just want to be left alone to do my thing in peace. That's why I really want you all to stay safe around me because there is nothing that grosses me out more than the idea of striking a human. Ugh. I keep it flashy, not flushy. Just the thought of touching that sweaty, oily, goop-filled meat stick you call a body-- ugh.
MOLLY BLOOM: I don't know. Being a human is kind of cozy actually. Your skin keeps you warm and you've got hair you can comb. And you know--
SUBJECT: Please stop.
SUBJECT: Well, it's cool, Larry. We don't want to cross paths with you either. So how do we stay safe?
SUBJECT: OK. Well look, it's best we just keep our distance. So if you hear thunder, that means I'm nearby. So just go home. Let me have this. You get to be outside like all the time. It's my turn now. So if thunder roars, go indoors. Got it?
SUBJECT: Yeah. If thunder roars, go indoors.
MOLLY BLOOM: Excellent suggestion, Larry. But sometimes, you kind of sneak up on us when we're far from home. So what do we do then?
SUBJECT: OK. Well first of all, getting in a car is a pretty safe bet. If you can't do that, then get off any high rocks or hills. Splatting down on those is my jam. And honestly, I'm moving so fast. I can't see what's there. So it's best to just avoid those areas. Oh. And don't hide under a tree because I like to zap those. If I went for a zap and there was a human hiding there, ugh. So icky. I love hitting trees. Don't ruin that for me.
SUBJECT: OK. We'll get away from high areas. No trees.
SUBJECT: Also, get out of water and away from water. Neither of us want to be there if I hit a pool and you're in it. Ugh.
MOLLY BLOOM: This is great advice. Thanks, Larry. So as long as we get inside, we're in the clear.
SUBJECT: Exactly. But just to be extra sure, make sure you aren't using stuff plugged into the walls with cords in case I accidentally zap your house.
SUBJECT: Cool. But are cellphones OK?
SUBJECT: If they're not plugged in, sure. Just don't Google lightning pics with them. I'm always making some awkward pose mid-strike like some weirdo. So cringe. Oh. And even inside, it's best if you don't bathe or shower or be in the water when I'm nearby. The last thing I want to do is accidentally run into your squishy, noodly personages while you're wet. Ugh, disgusting.
MOLLY BLOOM: Well, this has been very informative if not somewhat insulting.
SUBJECT: Yeah. We'll all do our best to stay away from you, Larry.
SUBJECT: Thank you. And remember, if you hear thunder, I'm too close for your own comfort. So please, just go inside. Now, I need to zap around some clouds to get rid of the image of you two fleshy lumpies sitting here looking at me. Bye.
SUBJECT: Wow. He left in a flash.
MOLLY BLOOM: He really bolted. It was shocking.
SUBJECT: Kind of stormed off.
MOLLY BLOOM: Struck me as rude, a little revolting even.
SUBJECT: He couldn't wait to be discharged.
MOLLY BLOOM: It was an electrifying exit though.
SUBJECT: Yeah. Totally stole our thunder.
MOLLY BLOOM: Well, you know what I think this episode needs now?
SUBJECT: A segment on rain clouds?
MOLLY BLOOM: No.
SUBJECT: Something about lightning rods?
MOLLY BLOOM: No.
SUBJECT: A discussion of the thermodynamics, hydrology, and cloud microphysics behind lightning hotspots worldwide?
MOLLY BLOOM: I don't think so. No. What we need now is a lightning round. Cue game show mode.
SUBJECT: Whoa. Molly, did you just magically change into a game show host outfit?
MOLLY BLOOM: There are a lot of perks of being a podcast host. Do you like it?
SUBJECT: Yeah. The pants are really loud, so many patterns.
MOLLY BLOOM: Oh yeah. And they're loud with sound, too. They rumble when I wiggle. Check it out. I call them thunder pants. OK. Now, enough tomfoolery. Let's get to it. I've got lightning questions and you'll need your lightning quick wits to think up lightning answers. Got it?
SUBJECT: Yes.
MOLLY BLOOM: Here's your first question. Wait. Let me try that again with a little shake of my thunder pants. Ahem. Here's your first question. Much better. Lightning can be hotter than A, a professional pizza oven, B, a campfire, C, molten lava, D, the surface of the sun, or E, all of these.
SUBJECT: I'm going to say C, molten lava.
MOLLY BLOOM: Excellent guess, Lily. You are partially right because the answer is E, which is all of the above.
SUBJECT: Oh. OK.
MOLLY BLOOM: Lightning can reach up to 50,000 degrees Fahrenheit. That's five times hotter than the surface of the sun, which is only a balmy 10,000 degrees or so.
SUBJECT: Wow.
MOLLY BLOOM: Yeah. It's very hot. Now we know why we should stay away from it.
SUBJECT: Yes.
MOLLY BLOOM: Next up, true or false. Lightning never strikes the same place twice. True or false?
SUBJECT: I'm going to say false.
MOLLY BLOOM: You are correct. Lightning can strike the same thing twice. And it does all the time, especially if that thing is the tallest thing around. For example, the Empire State Building gets hit by lightning about 25 times a year.
SUBJECT: Wow.
MOLLY BLOOM: Yeah. Amazing. All right. Next question. Which of these doesn't cause lightning? A, volcanoes, B, earthquakes, C, helicopters, or D, shooting stars?
SUBJECT: I'm going to say C, helicopters.
MOLLY BLOOM: OK. This is a bananas one. The answer is actually D, shooting stars. So there has been research showing that helicopters sometimes trigger lightning. Lightning can form in a volcano's plume. And there are lots of reports of strange lightning happening around earthquake events. Scientists still don't know exactly why though, but it's very cool. As far as we know, shooting stars do not lead to a sky zap.
SUBJECT: Oh, wow.
MOLLY BLOOM: It's time for the final question.
SUBJECT: I got to get a pair of thunder pants. So cool.
MOLLY BLOOM: Much like pie, there are many different kinds of lightning and some have cool names. I'm going to give you a bunch of names. You have to tell me which one isn't a real type of lightning. We've got A, blue jets, B, sprites and pixies, C, spider Lightning, D, ball lightning, or E, greased lightning. Which one is not a real type of lightning?
SUBJECT: I'm going to say E, greased lightning.
MOLLY BLOOM: You are completely correct because that is from the musical Grease.
SUBJECT: Yeah. I just watched that movie so--
MOLLY BLOOM: So you know.
SUBJECT: Yes.
MOLLY BLOOM: But the rest, sprites and pixies, spider lightning, blue jets, and ball lightning, those are actual real kinds of lightning. Ball lightning is one of the rarest kinds. It's a glowing orb of electricity that floats around. It can be anywhere from smaller than a golf ball to bigger than a soccer ball.
SUBJECT: Wow.
MOLLY BLOOM: Scientists are still trying to figure out how it works. But it's so rare that it's hard to study.
SUBJECT: Yeah. I think the glowing balls lightning was mentioned earlier.
MOLLY BLOOM: Yeah. It's pretty, pretty cool.
SUBJECT: Yeah.
MOLLY BLOOM: Well Lily, you did an amazing job with our game show. Please take a bow.
SUBJECT: OK.
MOLLY BLOOM: Thanks. A bow on a podcast means you bow silently. No one knows what you're actually doing. You could be doing a dance for all we know.
SUBJECT: OK. I'm doing a dance right now.
MOLLY BLOOM: Oh, perfect. Well, thank you for playing lightning round. Now back to your regularly scheduled podcast.
SUBJECT: Molly, you're back in your normal clothes.
MOLLY BLOOM: Yeah. I already miss my thunder pants.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
Lightning is just a big zap of electricity. And electricity happens when super tiny things called electrons move around.
SUBJECT: When there are too many electrons at the bottom of a storm cloud, that cloud will give off a bolt of lightning.
MOLLY BLOOM: Thunder is the sound of the air around the lightning swelling and shrinking as it heats up and cools down very fast.
SUBJECT: If you hear thunder, be safe by heading indoors or waiting out the storm in a car.
MOLLY BLOOM: And that's it for this episode of Brains On!
SUBJECT: This episode was written by Allison Skarda and Sanden Totten. We had production help from Molly Bloom, Rosie duPont, Anna Goldfield, Ruby Guthrie, Marc Sanchezm, Anna Weigel, and Aron Woldeslassie.
MOLLY BLOOM: Our editors are Sanden Totten and Shahla Farzan. We had engineering help from Brandon Ormandy and Josh [? Savageau,-- ?] with sound design by Rachel Breese. Beth Pearlman is our executive producer. The executives in charge of APM Studios are Chandra Covatti, Alex Schaffert, and Joanne Griffith. Special thanks to Andy Doucette, Nick Ryan, Euan Kerr, Andrew Lunn, Aaron Treadway, and Lily's friends for cheering her on before she left.
SUBJECT: Brains On! is a non-profit public radio program.
MOLLY BLOOM: There are lots of ways to support the show. Head to brainson.org.
SUBJECT: While you're there, you can send in your mystery sounds, questions, and drawings. And send us your ideas for the toothbrush of the future.
MOLLY BLOOM: You can also subscribe to our Smarty Pass.
SUBJECT: Ad-free episodes and bonus stuff just for you.
MOLLY BLOOM: OK, Lily. Are you ready to hear that mystery sound again?
SUBJECT: Yes.
MOLLY BLOOM: All right. Let's hear it.
SUBJECT: I think I'm going to stick with my old answer about the paint roller.
MOLLY BLOOM: That is a really good guess. I love it. You ready to hear the answer?
SUBJECT: Yes.
MOLLY BLOOM: Here it is.
SUBJECT: Hi. My name is Micah and I'm from Pagosa Springs, Colorado. And that was the sound of me rolling a paint roller on a wall.
MOLLY BLOOM: Holy cow. Lily, amazing ears.
SUBJECT: Yeah. I kind of know that sound because we just repainted my whole room so--
MOLLY BLOOM: Oh. So you're like, I know that. I listen to that sound a lot.
SUBJECT: Yes.
MOLLY BLOOM: Is it fun to use one of those paint rollers?
SUBJECT: Yeah. It's definitely really handy because it doesn't take so long.
MOLLY BLOOM: And it makes an excellent noise when you do it.
SUBJECT: Yes.
MOLLY BLOOM: Kind of squishy. I like it.
SUBJECT: Yes.
MOLLY BLOOM: Now, it's time for the Brains Honor Roll. These are the kids who keep the show going with their questions, ideas, mystery sounds, drawings, and high fives. Cindy from Auckland, New Zealand. Wyeth from Boone, North Carolina. Logan and Theo from Kiel, Wisconsin. Ruben from Stockholm, Sweden. Gus and Gretel from Goleta, California. Josephine from Cincinnati. Lina from Fayetteville, Arkansas. Diego from San Antonio, Texas. Lukas from Costa Rica. Beckett from Vallejo, California. Sharon from Welland, Ontario.
Erily, Arnon, and Emiris from San Francisco. Jayce from London. Catherine and Elizabeth from Pennsylvania. Oliver from Victoria, British Columbia. Arav from London. Eric from Wellington, New Zealand. Halsey from Fort Worth, Texas. Nin from Lake Mills, Wisconsin. Lily from Richboro. Paige and Aida from Ontario. Grace from University Heights, Ohio. Sol from Fort Worth, Texas. Owen from Beacon, New York. Ehecatl from Lexington, Kentucky. Olivia from Thorns, California. Carter from Denver. Einsley and Ebon from Brighton, Colorado. Naija, Tash, and Amaya from Guelph, Ontario. Adeola from Kerrville, Texas. Arthur from Portland, Oregon.
Giana, Logan, Gabriel, and Zelly from Fort Worth, Texas. Cassidy from Hawaii. Roger and Andy from Denver. Azalea from Las Vegas. Max from Bern, Switzerland. Owen and Nathan from Zoetermeer, Netherlands. Jack from Twain, California. Claire from San Antonio, Texas. Faraday from Sacramento. Waylon, Fallon, Hayes, and Hadin from Bethany, Missouri. Eli from Marco Island, Florida. Kymani from London. Elliott from Edmonton, Alberta. Henry and Sara from Oakwood, Ohio. Elliott from Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Lily and Zoe from Canada. Jacob from Chicago.
Abigail, Owen, and Grace from Savannah, Georgia. Marius and Locklin from Cumberland, Maine. Luke from Woodland Hills, California. Emef from Arlington, Texas. Tai from Madison, Virginia. Maddie and Kenny from Brisbane, Australia. Amaya and Ran from New Haven, Connecticut. Isabelle from Edinburgh, Scotland. Katie and Everette from Charleston, Missouri. Vera from Castro Valley, California. Finn and Ivy from Nova Scotia. Anita from London, Ontario. And Oliver from Berkeley, California. We'll be back next week with an episode all about our ancient human friends, Neanderthals.
SUBJECT: Thanks for listening.
SUBJECT: Brains On! Is supported in part by a grant from the National Science Foundation.
MARC SANCHEZ: OK, Molly. Your new thunder pants are ready. Why do you need these again?
MOLLY BLOOM: For today's lightning-themed game show, Marc. You know I always like sporting fresh fashion when I host.
MARC SANCHEZ: For a podcast where no one can see you?
MOLLY BLOOM: That's why I asked you to make the thunder pants extra loud.
MARC SANCHEZ: Well, I did my best. Ta-da! I used every pattern imaginable and several unimaginable ones, too.
MOLLY BLOOM: Wow. They are very busy.
MARC SANCHEZ: Yeah. Most designers recommend against using paisley and plaid with pinstripes and zebra stripes. But I say, if it doesn't cause immediate vertigo, is it really fashion?
MOLLY BLOOM: I feel nauseous just looking at them. But are they loud enough?
MARC SANCHEZ: What? This is the loudest pair of pants I could make. I can't make them any louder.
MOLLY BLOOM: Really? Because I don't hear anything.
MARC SANCHEZ: Hear anything? What? What do you mean? I thought you wanted loud thunder pants. Loud like clashing, garish, brightly colored, and unmissable.
MOLLY BLOOM: What? No. I mean, like literally loud. I wanted pants that rumble when I wiggle, crack when I jump, and thunk when I shake my trunk. You know? Pants that make thunder sounds.
MARC SANCHEZ: Oh. Thunder pants. I get it now. OK. I'm going to have to modify these a little. You still want paisley and plaid though, right?
MOLLY BLOOM: Definitely. When I stare at all those clashing patterns, I can literally taste my thoughts.
MARC SANCHEZ: Yeah. That's what I was going for. Stand back. One extra loud pair of pants coming right up.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
MOLLY BLOOM: You're listening to Brains On! from APM Studios. I'm your host, Molly Bloom. And my co-host today is Lily from Brooks, Alberta, Canada. Hi, Lily.
SUBJECT: Hi, Molly.
MOLLY BLOOM: Today, we're talking about the flashiest, zappiest, most electrifying of all weather phenomena, lightning.
[LIGHTNING CRACKLES]
SUBJECT: Wow. Did lightning just strike right when you said that?
MOLLY BLOOM: Yep. Just one of the perks of being the host of Brains On!, weather on demand. We've gotten a lot of questions from our listeners about lightning.
SUBJECT: My name is Ellie and I'm from San Mateo, California. I was wondering what causes lightning.
SUBJECT: My name is Luke and I'm from Los Gatos, California. And my question is, how does lightning form in the sky?
SUBJECT: Hi. My name is August.
SUBJECT: Hi. My name is Nell.
SUBJECT: And we live in Coburn, North Carolina.
SUBJECT: And we are wondering, how does lightning work?
SUBJECT: Hi. My name is Malcolm and I'm from Oro, Colorado. My question is, what makes lightning happen?
SUBJECT: My name is Liliana. I live in Brooks, Alberta, Canada. My question is, what is the science behind lightning? It's been rainy and had lots of lightning here for the past few days. I was wondering what made that happen.
MOLLY BLOOM: Thanks to Ellie, Luke, August, Nell, Malcolm, and Lily for sharing their questions about flashy fabulous lightning. And Lily, that last question was from you. And it made me wonder, when was the last time you saw lightning?
SUBJECT: I think I was with my brothers. And my little brother got really scared and he ran outside. And we said, going outside is probably not the best place to go if you're scared of lightning.
MOLLY BLOOM: That is good advice. Very good advice. So what do you know about lightning?
SUBJECT: I know that lightning forms from electrons creating electricity. And that's kind of it.
MOLLY BLOOM: OK. We're going to learn so much today.
SUBJECT: Yes.
MOLLY BLOOM: So you said your brother is scared of lightning. Are you scared of it, too?
SUBJECT: No. I think it's pretty fascinating. That's one of the reasons why I sent in a question about it.
MOLLY BLOOM: Very cool. So when there is a thunderstorm going on with lightning, what do you do during it?
SUBJECT: Well, me and my dad like to watch it on our deck.
MOLLY BLOOM: Yeah. I love a good thunderstorm in the summer. It's very fun to watch. So yeah, lots of people have seen lightning at some point. But it can be really hard to wrap your head around what it is and how it happens? Even though it feels almost like magic, it can be explained with science.
[LIGHTNING CRACKLES]
SUBJECT: Whoa. Nice dramatic effect, Molly.
MOLLY BLOOM: Thank you, Lily. So let's start with what lightning is. When you look up and see a big bolt of lightning zigzagging across the sky, what you're really seeing is one giant zap of electricity. Electricity is everywhere in our world.
SUBJECT: We use it to light our homes, power our computers, and even make microwave popcorn.
MOLLY BLOOM: Right. You can find electricity in lots of other places, too. Like, have you ever rubbed a balloon on your head and your hair has stood straight up, or pulled a shirt out of the dryer and felt a little zap on your fingers?
SUBJECT: That's electricity, too.
MOLLY BLOOM: Some animals like the electric eel even use electricity to stun their prey.
SUBJECT: And believe it or not, the human body makes its own electricity.
MOLLY BLOOM: We use it to send little signals all over our bodies. They tell us when to move, think, and feel. It makes our hearts beat, our muscles move, and makes it possible to think thoughts.
SUBJECT: So in a way, we're electric, too.
MOLLY BLOOM: Yes. And all electricity, whether it's in a bolt of lightning or in your body, starts with atoms.
SUBJECT: Atoms are the teeny tiny building blocks that make up everything in the universe. Atoms are so small, we can't see them with our eyes.
MOLLY BLOOM: Luckily, we have our handy-dandy zoom right here. So we can take a quick glance at an atom and find out what they have to do with electricity. Care to do the honors, Lily?
SUBJECT: I'd love to. Ooh, I think I see one.
SUBJECT: You can see me? This is so exciting. Hi. Hello.
MOLLY BLOOM: Hello. It's great to meet you.
SUBJECT: Atom. Atom the atom. Actually, we're all named Atom.
MOLLY BLOOM: Interesting. Nice to meet you, Atom. Lily and I are working on a podcast episode about lightning. And we thought it would be helpful to start by understanding atoms.
SUBJECT: Amazing instinct. We atoms really are the foundation of everything. Lily, when you look through the zoom ray, what do you see?
SUBJECT 1: In the center of the atom, or you, I guess, there's a blob and then a bunch of little specks circling around it.
SUBJECT: Exactly. That blob is called the nucleus. Then there are those specks that zoom around the nucleus. Those are my electrons. Electrons are really important when talking about electricity.
MOLLY BLOOM: So even though electrons are part of the atom, they aren't attached to the nucleus.
SUBJECT: Correct again. Electrons are attracted to the nucleus, kind of like magnets. But since they aren't physically connected to the nucleus, they can get knocked off course. So let's say I'm just hanging out when all of a sudden, I bump into another electron, and that can really rattle my electrons. In fact, some of my electrons might actually hop over and start to zoom around the nucleus of the other atom instead of me. Here, let me get my friend Atom to help me demonstrate. Atom?
SUBJECT: Yes, Atom?
SUBJECT: Bump into me.
SUBJECT: I thought you'd never ask. Here I come.
SUBJECT: Oh, I didn't realize you would do that with such gusto. Anyway, look. Atom has one of my electrons now.
SUBJECT: Oh yeah. Hey, new electron buddy.
SUBJECT: And when the electrons move around, that leaves both of us feeling out of balance.
SUBJECT: Ooh yeah. I am not into this at all, Atom. Makes me feel wobbly.
SUBJECT: This transfer of electrons between atoms is where electricity comes from.
SUBJECT: Exactly. It's important to know that we atoms do not like having too many or too few electrons. So if we are out of whack, we will try hard to return to our original state. So if you don't mind, Atom, can I please give you back this electron?
SUBJECT: Of course, Atom.
SUBJECT: Much better. Thanks, Atom.
MOLLY BLOOM: Amazing. This all makes sense now. Thank you so much for all your help, Atoms.
SUBJECT: Of course.
SUBJECT: Come say hi again sometime soon. Bye!
SUBJECT: Bye.
MOLLY BLOOM: Bye Bye.
SUBJECT: Bye Atoms.
MOLLY BLOOM: Now that we understand that electricity is just electrons passing between atoms, let's head up to the clouds to see how one of the zigzaggiest kinds of electricity, lightning, is made. Did you remember to bring your raincoat, Lily?
SUBJECT: Of course. And I brought my matching rain hat and rain boots.
MOLLY BLOOM: Oh, so stylish. Let's go.
SUBJECT: Whoa. It's windy up here and so cold.
MOLLY BLOOM: I know. That's the thing about storm clouds. They can be really, really tall, sometimes more than 10 miles tall. That's higher than most planes fly. And because they're so tall, the top of the cloud can be pretty chilly.
SUBJECT: Oof. Is that why there's all these little frozen chunks of ice flying around?
MOLLY BLOOM: Exactamundo. There are lots of little water droplets inside the cloud, and some of them freeze into ice crystals. Other droplets become something called graupel.
SUBJECT: I've heard of this. Graupel are soft, frozen ice pellets.
MOLLY BLOOM: Scientists are still figuring out exactly how lightning forms, but they think graupel are important.
SUBJECT: Oh, I think I see one over there.
MOLLY BLOOM: Oh yeah. That is definitely one grumpy graupel.
SUBJECT: I'm not grumpy. I'm just trying to relax. But all these ice crystals are zipping around all fast and furious like-- hey, watch where you're going.
SUBJECT: Seems pretty grumpy to me.
MOLLY BLOOM: Because it's so windy inside the cloud, the ice crystals and graupel are getting blown every which way, like a snow globe when you shake it up. And since the graupel are heavy little pellets, they fall down towards the bottom of the storm cloud.
SUBJECT: The ice crystals are smaller and lighter, so they float up towards the top of the cloud.
MOLLY BLOOM: And as the ice crystals and graupel are getting blown all around, they start whizzing really close to each other.
SUBJECT: Whoa. Did you see that ice crystal? Almost ran into me.
SUBJECT: Like everything else in the universe, ice crystals and graupel are made of atoms.
MOLLY BLOOM: And like we mentioned earlier, atoms have something called electrons that whizz around their center. When atoms bump into each other, those electrons can jump from atom to atom.
SUBJECT: Eventually, as all these ice crystals and graupel are flying around inside the cloud, they'll smack into each other.
MOLLY BLOOM: And one of the electrons from the ice crystal hops over to the graupel. This process happens over and over again, until there are a bunch of graupel with extra electrons.
SUBJECT: I'm just going to go and take a nap.
SUBJECT: In nature, atoms don't like having too many electrons or too few. They want to be balanced.
MOLLY BLOOM: So when an atom ends up with extra electrons, it often passes those electrons onto other atoms.
SUBJECT: Which brings us back to our graupel. On the ground, there are atoms that really want the extra electrons the graupel have.
MOLLY BLOOM: And that creates a strong attraction between the bottom of the cloud, where the graupel are hanging out with all their extra electrons, and the stuff on the ground that wants those extra electrons.
SUBJECT: When that attraction gets strong enough--
[LIGHTNING CRACKLES]
MOLLY BLOOM: It creates electricity. And a bolt of lightning is released.
SUBJECT: This cycle happens again and again. That's why you often see multiple bolts of lightning in a storm.
MOLLY BLOOM: Scientists call this cloud-to-ground lightning and it's super common. About 100 bolts of lightning strike the Earth's surface every second.
SUBJECT: But there are all different types of lightning. You can have lightning bolts between clouds, from the ground up to a cloud, even lightning that looks like glowing balls.
MOLLY BLOOM: Wow. Lightning really is a superstar of the sky.
SUBJECT: I know, right?
[LIGHTNING CRACKLES]
MOLLY BLOOM: Pickle on a stick. That scared me.
SUBJECT: Me, too. Hey, have you ever heard someone say, you can tell how far away a storm is by counting how long it takes to hear thunder after you see lightning strike?
MOLLY BLOOM: Yes. And it's actually true. Here is how it works. Let's say a bolt of lightning shoots down.
[LIGHTNING CRACKLES]
It creates light which travels super fast. You'll see it almost instantly, even if you're far away. That lightning also heats up the air around it when it strikes. The warm air puffs out then cools super quickly, shrinking back in. This creates a big wave in the air that makes a powerful deep sound. But sound travels a lot more slowly than light. So even though you saw the flash right away, it'll be a few moments before that sound reaches your ears.
[LIGHTNING CRACKLES]
Generally, the sound of thunder travels one mile every five seconds.
SUBJECT: So if it takes 5 seconds for the sound to reach me, the lightning was 1 mile away. If it takes 10 seconds, the lightning was 2 miles away. And 15 seconds would be 3 miles.
MOLLY BLOOM: Yes. It's not an exact science though. Little things like the temperature of the air that day can affect how fast the sound travels. But if you hear thunder, even if it's far off, you should probably get inside to be safe.
SUBJECT: We'll have more tips on staying safe in a bit. Stick around.
SUBJECT: Brains. Brains. Brains.
MOLLY BLOOM: Speaking of awe-inspiring sounds, it's time for the--
SUBJECT: Mystery sound.
MOLLY BLOOM: Are you ready to hear it, Lily?
SUBJECT: Yes.
MOLLY BLOOM: All right. Here it is.
Hmm. I have no idea what this is either. I am stumped. What do you think?
SUBJECT: Maybe somebody's like rubbing a balloon on their head or their shirt?
MOLLY BLOOM: Nice. I like that guess.
SUBJECT: I don't know.
MOLLY BLOOM: Do you want to hear it again? Let's hear it again.
SUBJECT: Yeah.
I have a different guess now. Maybe it's like a paint roller, like rolling paint on a wall. I don't know.
MOLLY BLOOM: That's a very, very good guess. Well, we're going to hear it again, get another chance to guess, and hear the answer after the credits. So stick around. We are working on an episode about cavities, those tiny holes we sometimes get in our teeth. Nobody likes getting cavities. But luckily, brushing your teeth helps keep them from forming. So we want to hear from you.
If you could design the toothbrush of the future, what would it look like? Would it have lasers to zap the plaque off your teeth or a tiny little speaker so you could listen to music while you brush? Lily, what would your toothbrush of the future look like?
SUBJECT: I think it would be completely automatic so you don't have to do anything because I'm too lazy to brush my teeth.
MOLLY BLOOM: So like, would it be a machine that you just kind of stick in your mouth and let it go?
SUBJECT: Yeah. Or have a button on it that just does everything for you.
MOLLY BLOOM: That would be very convenient, especially when you're really tired first thing in the morning.
SUBJECT: Yeah.
MOLLY BLOOM: It's hard. It's hard to concentrate. Yeah, I like this idea. OK. So listeners, record yourself describing your super snazzy toothbrush of the future and send it to us at brainson.org/contact. And while you're there, you can send us mystery sounds, drawings, and questions.
SUBJECT: Like this one.
SUBJECT: Do butterflies sleep?
SUBJECT: Again, that's brainson.org/contact.
SUBJECT: And keep listening. You're listening to Brains On! I'm Lily.
MOLLY BLOOM: And I'm Molly. Today, we're talking about lightning.
SUBJECT: We just got back from a trip inside a storm cloud to see how lightning forms. We heard that atoms have electrons moving around them.
MOLLY BLOOM: And when two atoms bump into each other, those electrons jump from one atom to the other. This phenomenon helps create electricity. And it's super important for the formation of lightning.
SUBJECT: It's very inspiring stuff. In fact, we asked you to get inspired and write us a little song about lightning.
MOLLY BLOOM: And the songs you sent us lit up our lives.
SUBJECT: Hello. My name is Ollie.
SUBJECT: And my name is Esmé.
SUBJECT: And we are going to sing a song. Lightning, lightning, go away. Come again on Friday.
SUBJECT: My name is Noah from New South Wales, Australia. And this is my song about lightning.
(SINGING) Lightning, lightning, you're so cool. If you plan it, you're a fool. Go outside and watch the show. Come inside or you could blow. Lightning, lightning, you're so cool. Do not go in your pool.
SUBJECT: My name is Grace. This is my song for lightning. Boom, boom, boom, boom, ba. That is how lightning goes. Boom, boom, boom, boom, ba. Lightning, lightning, all around that makes a great sound.
SUBJECT: My name is Luke. And this is my lightning song. Lightning, lightning, dangerous. Don't go outside until it's quiet. Yes. Don't, don't, don't fly your kite. Don't dare. Your kite will get burned. Lightning stare!
SUBJECT: Hi, my name is Adam. I'm from Currie, North Carolina. And this is my lightning song.
MOLLY BLOOM: Big thanks to Ollie, Esmé, Noah, Grace, Luke, and Adam for those shockingly good ditties. Now, as cool as lightning is, it's also serious stuff.
SUBJECT: Yeah. It can be dangerous. You need to be careful when it's around to make sure you stay safe.
MOLLY BLOOM: Luckily, there are lots of ways to do that. Here to tell us more is an actual bolt of lightning. Welcome.
[LIGHTNING CRACKLES]
SUBJECT: Zap. I'm Larry, Larry the lightning bolt.
MOLLY BLOOM: Hey, Larry. Must be pretty cool to be a lightning bolt.
SUBJECT: Actually, it's super weird, Molly. Like, one minute, I'm just a bunch of electrons in a cloud. And the next thing, bam! I'm shooting across the sky and crashing into a tower. And everybody is looking at me. So embarrassing.
SUBJECT: Oof. Yeah. I hate when everyone is staring at me.
SUBJECT: For real. I just want to be left alone to do my thing in peace. That's why I really want you all to stay safe around me because there is nothing that grosses me out more than the idea of striking a human. Ugh. I keep it flashy, not flushy. Just the thought of touching that sweaty, oily, goop-filled meat stick you call a body-- ugh.
MOLLY BLOOM: I don't know. Being a human is kind of cozy actually. Your skin keeps you warm and you've got hair you can comb. And you know--
SUBJECT: Please stop.
SUBJECT: Well, it's cool, Larry. We don't want to cross paths with you either. So how do we stay safe?
SUBJECT: OK. Well look, it's best we just keep our distance. So if you hear thunder, that means I'm nearby. So just go home. Let me have this. You get to be outside like all the time. It's my turn now. So if thunder roars, go indoors. Got it?
SUBJECT: Yeah. If thunder roars, go indoors.
MOLLY BLOOM: Excellent suggestion, Larry. But sometimes, you kind of sneak up on us when we're far from home. So what do we do then?
SUBJECT: OK. Well first of all, getting in a car is a pretty safe bet. If you can't do that, then get off any high rocks or hills. Splatting down on those is my jam. And honestly, I'm moving so fast. I can't see what's there. So it's best to just avoid those areas. Oh. And don't hide under a tree because I like to zap those. If I went for a zap and there was a human hiding there, ugh. So icky. I love hitting trees. Don't ruin that for me.
SUBJECT: OK. We'll get away from high areas. No trees.
SUBJECT: Also, get out of water and away from water. Neither of us want to be there if I hit a pool and you're in it. Ugh.
MOLLY BLOOM: This is great advice. Thanks, Larry. So as long as we get inside, we're in the clear.
SUBJECT: Exactly. But just to be extra sure, make sure you aren't using stuff plugged into the walls with cords in case I accidentally zap your house.
SUBJECT: Cool. But are cellphones OK?
SUBJECT: If they're not plugged in, sure. Just don't Google lightning pics with them. I'm always making some awkward pose mid-strike like some weirdo. So cringe. Oh. And even inside, it's best if you don't bathe or shower or be in the water when I'm nearby. The last thing I want to do is accidentally run into your squishy, noodly personages while you're wet. Ugh, disgusting.
MOLLY BLOOM: Well, this has been very informative if not somewhat insulting.
SUBJECT: Yeah. We'll all do our best to stay away from you, Larry.
SUBJECT: Thank you. And remember, if you hear thunder, I'm too close for your own comfort. So please, just go inside. Now, I need to zap around some clouds to get rid of the image of you two fleshy lumpies sitting here looking at me. Bye.
SUBJECT: Wow. He left in a flash.
MOLLY BLOOM: He really bolted. It was shocking.
SUBJECT: Kind of stormed off.
MOLLY BLOOM: Struck me as rude, a little revolting even.
SUBJECT: He couldn't wait to be discharged.
MOLLY BLOOM: It was an electrifying exit though.
SUBJECT: Yeah. Totally stole our thunder.
MOLLY BLOOM: Well, you know what I think this episode needs now?
SUBJECT: A segment on rain clouds?
MOLLY BLOOM: No.
SUBJECT: Something about lightning rods?
MOLLY BLOOM: No.
SUBJECT: A discussion of the thermodynamics, hydrology, and cloud microphysics behind lightning hotspots worldwide?
MOLLY BLOOM: I don't think so. No. What we need now is a lightning round. Cue game show mode.
SUBJECT: Whoa. Molly, did you just magically change into a game show host outfit?
MOLLY BLOOM: There are a lot of perks of being a podcast host. Do you like it?
SUBJECT: Yeah. The pants are really loud, so many patterns.
MOLLY BLOOM: Oh yeah. And they're loud with sound, too. They rumble when I wiggle. Check it out. I call them thunder pants. OK. Now, enough tomfoolery. Let's get to it. I've got lightning questions and you'll need your lightning quick wits to think up lightning answers. Got it?
SUBJECT: Yes.
MOLLY BLOOM: Here's your first question. Wait. Let me try that again with a little shake of my thunder pants. Ahem. Here's your first question. Much better. Lightning can be hotter than A, a professional pizza oven, B, a campfire, C, molten lava, D, the surface of the sun, or E, all of these.
SUBJECT: I'm going to say C, molten lava.
MOLLY BLOOM: Excellent guess, Lily. You are partially right because the answer is E, which is all of the above.
SUBJECT: Oh. OK.
MOLLY BLOOM: Lightning can reach up to 50,000 degrees Fahrenheit. That's five times hotter than the surface of the sun, which is only a balmy 10,000 degrees or so.
SUBJECT: Wow.
MOLLY BLOOM: Yeah. It's very hot. Now we know why we should stay away from it.
SUBJECT: Yes.
MOLLY BLOOM: Next up, true or false. Lightning never strikes the same place twice. True or false?
SUBJECT: I'm going to say false.
MOLLY BLOOM: You are correct. Lightning can strike the same thing twice. And it does all the time, especially if that thing is the tallest thing around. For example, the Empire State Building gets hit by lightning about 25 times a year.
SUBJECT: Wow.
MOLLY BLOOM: Yeah. Amazing. All right. Next question. Which of these doesn't cause lightning? A, volcanoes, B, earthquakes, C, helicopters, or D, shooting stars?
SUBJECT: I'm going to say C, helicopters.
MOLLY BLOOM: OK. This is a bananas one. The answer is actually D, shooting stars. So there has been research showing that helicopters sometimes trigger lightning. Lightning can form in a volcano's plume. And there are lots of reports of strange lightning happening around earthquake events. Scientists still don't know exactly why though, but it's very cool. As far as we know, shooting stars do not lead to a sky zap.
SUBJECT: Oh, wow.
MOLLY BLOOM: It's time for the final question.
SUBJECT: I got to get a pair of thunder pants. So cool.
MOLLY BLOOM: Much like pie, there are many different kinds of lightning and some have cool names. I'm going to give you a bunch of names. You have to tell me which one isn't a real type of lightning. We've got A, blue jets, B, sprites and pixies, C, spider Lightning, D, ball lightning, or E, greased lightning. Which one is not a real type of lightning?
SUBJECT: I'm going to say E, greased lightning.
MOLLY BLOOM: You are completely correct because that is from the musical Grease.
SUBJECT: Yeah. I just watched that movie so--
MOLLY BLOOM: So you know.
SUBJECT: Yes.
MOLLY BLOOM: But the rest, sprites and pixies, spider lightning, blue jets, and ball lightning, those are actual real kinds of lightning. Ball lightning is one of the rarest kinds. It's a glowing orb of electricity that floats around. It can be anywhere from smaller than a golf ball to bigger than a soccer ball.
SUBJECT: Wow.
MOLLY BLOOM: Scientists are still trying to figure out how it works. But it's so rare that it's hard to study.
SUBJECT: Yeah. I think the glowing balls lightning was mentioned earlier.
MOLLY BLOOM: Yeah. It's pretty, pretty cool.
SUBJECT: Yeah.
MOLLY BLOOM: Well Lily, you did an amazing job with our game show. Please take a bow.
SUBJECT: OK.
MOLLY BLOOM: Thanks. A bow on a podcast means you bow silently. No one knows what you're actually doing. You could be doing a dance for all we know.
SUBJECT: OK. I'm doing a dance right now.
MOLLY BLOOM: Oh, perfect. Well, thank you for playing lightning round. Now back to your regularly scheduled podcast.
SUBJECT: Molly, you're back in your normal clothes.
MOLLY BLOOM: Yeah. I already miss my thunder pants.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
Lightning is just a big zap of electricity. And electricity happens when super tiny things called electrons move around.
SUBJECT: When there are too many electrons at the bottom of a storm cloud, that cloud will give off a bolt of lightning.
MOLLY BLOOM: Thunder is the sound of the air around the lightning swelling and shrinking as it heats up and cools down very fast.
SUBJECT: If you hear thunder, be safe by heading indoors or waiting out the storm in a car.
MOLLY BLOOM: And that's it for this episode of Brains On!
SUBJECT: This episode was written by Allison Skarda and Sanden Totten. We had production help from Molly Bloom, Rosie duPont, Anna Goldfield, Ruby Guthrie, Marc Sanchezm, Anna Weigel, and Aron Woldeslassie.
MOLLY BLOOM: Our editors are Sanden Totten and Shahla Farzan. We had engineering help from Brandon Ormandy and Josh [? Savageau,-- ?] with sound design by Rachel Breese. Beth Pearlman is our executive producer. The executives in charge of APM Studios are Chandra Covatti, Alex Schaffert, and Joanne Griffith. Special thanks to Andy Doucette, Nick Ryan, Euan Kerr, Andrew Lunn, Aaron Treadway, and Lily's friends for cheering her on before she left.
SUBJECT: Brains On! is a non-profit public radio program.
MOLLY BLOOM: There are lots of ways to support the show. Head to brainson.org.
SUBJECT: While you're there, you can send in your mystery sounds, questions, and drawings. And send us your ideas for the toothbrush of the future.
MOLLY BLOOM: You can also subscribe to our Smarty Pass.
SUBJECT: Ad-free episodes and bonus stuff just for you.
MOLLY BLOOM: OK, Lily. Are you ready to hear that mystery sound again?
SUBJECT: Yes.
MOLLY BLOOM: All right. Let's hear it.
SUBJECT: I think I'm going to stick with my old answer about the paint roller.
MOLLY BLOOM: That is a really good guess. I love it. You ready to hear the answer?
SUBJECT: Yes.
MOLLY BLOOM: Here it is.
SUBJECT: Hi. My name is Micah and I'm from Pagosa Springs, Colorado. And that was the sound of me rolling a paint roller on a wall.
MOLLY BLOOM: Holy cow. Lily, amazing ears.
SUBJECT: Yeah. I kind of know that sound because we just repainted my whole room so--
MOLLY BLOOM: Oh. So you're like, I know that. I listen to that sound a lot.
SUBJECT: Yes.
MOLLY BLOOM: Is it fun to use one of those paint rollers?
SUBJECT: Yeah. It's definitely really handy because it doesn't take so long.
MOLLY BLOOM: And it makes an excellent noise when you do it.
SUBJECT: Yes.
MOLLY BLOOM: Kind of squishy. I like it.
SUBJECT: Yes.
MOLLY BLOOM: Now, it's time for the Brains Honor Roll. These are the kids who keep the show going with their questions, ideas, mystery sounds, drawings, and high fives. Cindy from Auckland, New Zealand. Wyeth from Boone, North Carolina. Logan and Theo from Kiel, Wisconsin. Ruben from Stockholm, Sweden. Gus and Gretel from Goleta, California. Josephine from Cincinnati. Lina from Fayetteville, Arkansas. Diego from San Antonio, Texas. Lukas from Costa Rica. Beckett from Vallejo, California. Sharon from Welland, Ontario.
Erily, Arnon, and Emiris from San Francisco. Jayce from London. Catherine and Elizabeth from Pennsylvania. Oliver from Victoria, British Columbia. Arav from London. Eric from Wellington, New Zealand. Halsey from Fort Worth, Texas. Nin from Lake Mills, Wisconsin. Lily from Richboro. Paige and Aida from Ontario. Grace from University Heights, Ohio. Sol from Fort Worth, Texas. Owen from Beacon, New York. Ehecatl from Lexington, Kentucky. Olivia from Thorns, California. Carter from Denver. Einsley and Ebon from Brighton, Colorado. Naija, Tash, and Amaya from Guelph, Ontario. Adeola from Kerrville, Texas. Arthur from Portland, Oregon.
Giana, Logan, Gabriel, and Zelly from Fort Worth, Texas. Cassidy from Hawaii. Roger and Andy from Denver. Azalea from Las Vegas. Max from Bern, Switzerland. Owen and Nathan from Zoetermeer, Netherlands. Jack from Twain, California. Claire from San Antonio, Texas. Faraday from Sacramento. Waylon, Fallon, Hayes, and Hadin from Bethany, Missouri. Eli from Marco Island, Florida. Kymani from London. Elliott from Edmonton, Alberta. Henry and Sara from Oakwood, Ohio. Elliott from Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Lily and Zoe from Canada. Jacob from Chicago.
Abigail, Owen, and Grace from Savannah, Georgia. Marius and Locklin from Cumberland, Maine. Luke from Woodland Hills, California. Emef from Arlington, Texas. Tai from Madison, Virginia. Maddie and Kenny from Brisbane, Australia. Amaya and Ran from New Haven, Connecticut. Isabelle from Edinburgh, Scotland. Katie and Everette from Charleston, Missouri. Vera from Castro Valley, California. Finn and Ivy from Nova Scotia. Anita from London, Ontario. And Oliver from Berkeley, California. We'll be back next week with an episode all about our ancient human friends, Neanderthals.
SUBJECT: Thanks for listening.
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