Nokia Wants to Use Lightning to Charge Your Phone

Lightning may never strike the same place twice, but your phone doesn't need to know that.

That's because a group of scientists from the University of Southampton have teamed up with Nokia to explore the possibility of harnessing the energy of a lightning bolt to charge a mobile device.

Sound impossible? Well, the scientists have already done it.

In order to create a "lightning bolt" for their test, the team first generated an alternating current through a transformer. They then channeled that current between a gap that was a little under an inch thick, surging 200,000 volts — well within the average strength of a typical lightning strike — in the form of a bolt of electricity. The signal was then transferred into another controlling transformer, where it was able to charge the battery of a Nokia Lumia 925. Read more...