Glows in the dark

Ever wondered if high voltage power lines actually have some sort of energy field around them? Well, an artist named Richard Box wanted to know more and tried it out. He installed 1301 fluorescent bulbs underneath power lines without connecting them to any energy source directly and “voila” — instant ambient energy.



The UK Guardian explains:

"A fluorescent tube glows when an electrical voltage is set up across it. The electric field set up inside the tube excites atoms of mercury gas, making them emit ultraviolet light. This invisible light strikes the phosphor coating on the glass tube, making it glow. Because powerlines are typically 400,000volts, and Earth is at an electrical potential of zero volts, pylons create electric fields between the cables they carry and the ground."

Pretty scary stuff. But even scarier is that guy's job:



Electricity sure is fun...