Beer and Lightening

[Joshua]

As I was walking around during a thunder storm tonight, with a backpack full of beer I wondered something. If I had a backpack on full of beer, and I was struck by lightening, what would happen? Would the beer can explode from the insane amount of electricity coursing through myself, and the backpack. Or would I simply end up on the ground twitching with a bunch of beer safely stowed in the backpack. It's questions like these that keep me up at night.

[Melisssss]

Hmmm I think the beer would be safe. The reason I say this is because I know if it happened to me, I would open one, have one sip, get struck, die and never get to finish the 6er. That's just my luck!

[Joshua]

But would the amperage cause the cans to explode? This is an issue that should be addressed. I agree, if I were to be struck, I would try to throw another one down.

[Melisssss]

The cans would explode from the heating up of the metal from the current rushing through.

[Ian]

I think the cans would explode from the heat.
I think we should get mythbusters on this. Or do it on our own...

[Joshua]

Or do it on our own...

I'm standing by for volunteers!

[Hennek]

The beer would be fine. Electricity chooses the path of least resistance...so it would go directly from your head to your feet, leaving your precious beer alone for you to consume after you wake up brain damaged. :)

[Melisssss]

I have to strongly disagree that the beer would be fine after going back and forth a bit on this.


My final opinion is:

Since it is true lightning will take the path of least resistance, it will seek out the metal as being that path because metal is a better conductor than say skin. The strike will seek out the cans, heating them up and causing them to explode.

Now who wants to test this? I'll buy the beer and supply video taping equipment :)

[esoteric-lizard]

i think the beer cans would actually need to have contact with the skin in order to conduct any kind current - if then, only one or two might explode from the heat... saving your around 4 beers for later. :P

if anything - your backpack would melt to your skin... same with your shoe's, and your expensive polyester PIMP threads. :icon_bigg

[Melisssss]

Oh wait! Pimp threads?! No one told me this before I posted. This could change everything. I believe they possess superhero type powers like armour or something.

[-Brian]

This discussion, and the inclusion of th "pimp threads" reminded me of this link I was sent, a couple days ago. - Brian

http://today.reuters.com/news/newsarticle.aspx?type=oddlyEnoughNews&summit=TokyoTechSummit05&storyid=2005-09-16T143042Z_01_EIC652134_RTRIDST_0_ODD-AUSTRALIA-ELECTRICITY-DC.XML