Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!think.com!linus!philabs!ttidca!hollombe
From: hollombe@ttidca.TTI.COM (The Polymath)
Newsgroups: sci.electronics
Subject: Re: using the bathroom during lightning storm
Message-ID: <26525@ttidca.TTI.COM>
Date: 28 May 91 19:26:52 GMT
References: <1991May23.223109.19908@cbfsb.att.com> <1524@cvbnetPrime.COM> <1991May24.210108.9982@solbourne.com> <13568@dog.ee.lbl.gov> <2073@ecicrl.ocunix.on.ca>
Organization: The Cat Factory
Lines: 23

In article <2073@ecicrl.ocunix.on.ca> clewis@ferret.ocunix.on.ca (Chris Lewis) writes:
}In article <13568@dog.ee.lbl.gov> jtchew@csa2.lbl.gov writes:
}>>Correct me if I'm wrong here, but isn't the metal plumbing in your
}>>house grounded?  
}
}>Remember that at a few tens of kiloamperes, fractional-ohm differences
}>get really significant.
}
}Or, put another way, at a few tens of kiloamperes, there ain't no such
}thing as a good ground.  ...

The important thing is that electricity doesn't just "follow the path of
least resistance."  It follows _all_ paths in inverse proportion to their
resistance.  When you're dealing with multi-megavolts and kiloamperes, it
doesn't take a very large proportion to fry you.

So pee in a jar while waiting for the storm to pass. (-:

-- 
The Polymath (aka: Jerry Hollombe, M.A., CDP, aka: hollombe@ttidca.tti.com)
Head Robot Wrangler at Citicorp                   Illegitimis non
3100 Ocean Park Blvd.   (213) 450-9111, x2483       Carborundum
Santa Monica, CA  90405 {rutgers|pyramid|philabs|psivax}!ttidca!hollombe