14 DAY TRIAL // Anyone mistaken enough to believe that man was beyond forays into harnessing natural lightning will be surprised to learn that something of the sort happened just last week. At least that's the closest approximation.
Well, in truth, the experiment may have actually happened a bit longer ago. We're not exactly sure, since the news focused more on the experiment than on when it happened.
Anyway, scientists from the University of Southampton, along with Nokia and scientist Neil Palmer of the University's Tony Davies High Voltage Laboratory, have presented a new idea.
Essentially, they have figured out how to harness the energy of a natural lightning bolt in order to recharge the battery of a Nokia Lumia 925.
Well, they didn't actually capture lightning. They simulated a bolt in a laboratory. Still, it's more or less the same thing, and enough to prove a point if nothing else.
An alternative current driven by a transformer sent over 200,000 volts across a 300mm gap. Said signal then ended up in a second controlling transformer, used to charge the phone.
Normally, this wouldn't work, because the signal was very “noisy.” The circuitry in Nokia's phone, however, stabilized the signal somehow, allowing the battery to charge.
"We were amazed to see that the Nokia circuitry somehow stabilized the noisy signal, allowing the battery to be charged. This discovery proves devices can be charged with a current that passes through the air, and is a huge step towards understanding a natural power like lightning and harnessing its energy," Neil said.
"This is a first for any mobile phone company to trial this kind of technology. We obviously aren't recommending people try this experiment at home, but we are always looking to disrupt and push the boundaries of technology and find innovative ways to improve the performance of our products," said Chris Weber, executive vice president for sales and marketing at Nokia.
If nothing else, this will make sure that it won't all be bad if you get struck by lightning during a field trip.
