Lightning rods have been used to guide lightning strikes for centuries, but now scientists have demonstrated something a bit more advanced than a humble metal stick. Beaming a high-powered laser into the sky was shown to deflect lightning bolts, which could lead to laser lightning rods that protect a wider area from dangerous strikes.

Lightning is one of the most energetic natural events, unleashing millions of volts in fractions of a second. That of course can be destructive, damaging buildings, cutting power, starting fires and causing injuries and deaths.

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For centuries our best defense against lightning strikes has been the lightning rod, a simple metal stick attached to tall buildings that attracts the electricity and guides it safely to the ground. But they have limited range – a 10-m (33-ft) lightning rod can protect an area of just 10 m around itself. To protect a building as big as say an airport or wind farm would require unfeasibly large lightning rods.

Read more: New Atlas