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Ball Lightning
Mon Oct 04, 2004
Listen in RealAudio 
Some scientists say it doesn’t really exist. Others say, yeah, it’s real, but we have no
idea what it is. What are we talking about? Ball lightning, and that is the subject of this
month’s Brainstorm. Hi, I’m Bryan Yeaton, and this is The Weather Notebook.
So, what do you think? Is ball lightning real, or not? Have you seen it? Is it really
lightning, or merely an afterimage burned onto your retina after a particularly close
strike?
If you haven’t played before, here’s how our Brainstorms work. Every month, we ask a
question which tests your atmospheric aptitude, which we just did. All you have to do is
call in with your answer to (888) RAIN-001, and if we use your brilliant response on the
air, we send you stuff that says "Weather Notebook" on it. You can also write in your
answer to questions@weathernotebook.org.
Our question again: what is ball lightning? Is it a real phenomenon or something to file
away with the Tooth Fairy or the wormhole in your dryer that steals only one sock out of
a pair? If you have seen it or think you know what it is, give us a call at (888) RAIN-001,
which is also (888) 724-6001. To scour this riddle in more detail, zap on over to our
website at www.weathernotebook.org where you can check out this program or any
other of our past shows including a whole bunch more Brainstorms.
Our show is produced by the Mount Washington Observatory. Go to
www.mountwashington.org and see how you can spend a winter night at the "Home of
the World’s Worst Weather," as part of our EduTrip program. Further funding is
provided by Subaru of America. Thanks today to Marketing Manager Melody Nester, and
to Audio Engineer Trish Anderton, who puts our show together.
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