Chapter 1
The friction that kindled humanity
Chapter 2
Taming the sky's electric fire
Chapter 3
The sparks under the hood
Chapter 4
The spark of life and mind
YOUR GOAL
Master of The tiny sparks that shaped human history
Ch 2 · Taming the sky's electric fire
joy Franklin's Lightning Rod
Ground the spark, ground the spark / We guide the lightning through the dark
joy Illustrated spark gap transmitters emit bright, crackling electrical sparks along a colorful timeline.
BETA
joy Redirect historical sparks into key inventions to discover how humanity tamed electricity.
Fun Fact
Tesla's ozone: Nikola Tesla's giant electrical sparks created so much ozone that visitors reported feeling energized and refreshed.
Glossary
lightning rod (noun)
A metal rod or wire fixed to an exposed part of a building to divert lightning harmlessly into the ground. Benjamin Franklin invented this device in 1752, famously testing his theories with a Philadelphia kite experiment.
A metal rod or wire fixed to an exposed part of a building to divert lightning harmlessly into the ground. Benjamin Franklin invented this device in 1752, famously testing his theories with a Philadelphia kite experiment.
Quiz
What happened when Benjamin Franklin brought his knuckle near the key on his kite string?
