There was a time in human history when we depended on mythology to explain the ways of the world. But with so much advancement in the scientific community over the last several centuries, we have much more clear answers to all of our “What happens if…” questions. People have taken it upon themselves to share the discoveries they’ve stumbled upon. Check out our collection of questions we now know the answers to, along with photographic evidence.
When Lightning Strikes
The very first question is, what happens to dirt when it is struck by lightning? While most of us are familiar with the story of Benjamin Franklin flying a kite in a storm from our elementary school days, the actual effects of the earth being hit by lightning aren’t as widely known.
Thanks to this photo, you can see exactly what happened to this clump of dirt when lightning hit it. It turned into an amazing crystal-like cluster that resembles smoky quartz! It turns out that this type of “crystal” is called a fulgurite, and it is formed when lightning hits the ground and reacts with the minerals in the soil.