• rtxn@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    170
    arrow-down
    3
    ·
    1 year ago

    “We know these power lines are in a dangerous location (as confirmed by three concerned engineers who approached us independently of each other), and are likely to injure or kill people if they sag too far in the summer heat, but the state legislation hasn’t been updated since the '40s when the lines only carried a fraction of today’s amperage, so we’re legally in the clear.”

        • paris@lemmy.blahaj.zone
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          10
          arrow-down
          1
          ·
          1 year ago

          Wait is this actually dangerous? I’ve never heard of this and it seems cool to try but would it actually explode or something?

          • Skyrmir@lemmy.world
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            9
            ·
            1 year ago

            It’s completely safe, other than you’ll be waving a thin glass tube around and immediately want to pretend it’s a light saber when it lights up. Remember, they all contain mercury, if when it does break, don’t inhale.

    • LazaroFilm@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      7
      ·
      1 year ago

      You can power your house wirelessly with a large antenna near power lines. But that would actually use power from the lines and co soldered theft.

    • darkstar
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      3
      ·
      1 year ago

      I would pay money to see someone do this

  • Shikadi@lemmy.sdf.org
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    17
    arrow-down
    1
    ·
    1 year ago

    I got shocked by those in Oregon while biking regularly when I lived there. Trick is to touch the metal frame with your legs and hand as you go under and it doesn’t hurt

      • Shikadi@lemmy.sdf.org
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        5
        ·
        1 year ago

        Then you probably won’t get shocked. It’s actually kind of interesting how it happens, it’s because of your body’s position as it passes through the electromagnetic field. Passing through the field generates a charge, but since your head is closer than your feet to the wires, and the field strength decreases with radius, you end up with more charge at the top of your body than at the bottom. Touching your bike frame provides a path from one part to the other (and perhaps to the air) which is how you get shocked in the first place, but if your frame is carbon fiber and there’s no path, I would expect the charge to dissipate on its own fairly quickly.

        It’s been like 6 years since I looked this up though so my understanding may have rotted a little