Lightening Glass

[Colin Allhose]

I follow a page called "I fucking love science" on FB. They posted this today, thought it was interesting.

"This is what sand looks like when it's been hit by lightning.
Called a fulgurite, this is made up of natural hollow glass tubes formed in quartzose sand, silica, or soil by lightning strikes (at 3,270 °F), which instantaneously melts silica on a conductive surface and fuses grains together over a period of around one second.

Photographed by Ken Smit"

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Cool right?

[derekg0]

That's cool

[istandalone24/7]

we saw people setting copper rods in the sand in Va Beach a few years ago....couldn't figure out what they were doing so we asked. turns out...people pay for fulgurite!

[GlassAlias]

I wonder how much they get for a piece. I can throw some copper in my kids sandbox this summer.

[Captain Glass]

My girlfriend loves the movie sweet home Alabama and the guy is out there on a beach In a lightning storm doing this. I kinda thought it was a joke but I guess not. We get lots of lightning and thunder here in south Florida I'm gunna have to try this out.

[glassfreek]

It is kind of like a dragon form. These have always fascinated me. Too bad lightning is almost unheard of around here.

[T-Rex]

You don't get lightning!? How does that work?

Looks pretty neat - I'd like to see some in person, that's for sure.

[aREa541]

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Also called lightning root, at least in hippie circles. Shamans really dig this shit, because it is believed to have stored energy and really improves concentration (if you believe in that stuff). Natural fulgurite is worth a bunch more than the farmed kind for obvious reasons.

I knew a guy who dug some up around Bend, Oregon after he saw a lightning strike hit a sage bush. Oddly enough, it was right after he had a request to get some for a healer (he is a gem and mineral hound/dealer). I really didn't want to believe his story, but he came out of the back room with a huge intact chunk of it wrapped in a newspaper clipping of him and another guy standing holding the chunk where they found it. I have some of it somewhere, it is gray instead of brown and really rough feeling almost like brittle cement. Super cool stuff, wonder if it you can fuse it to boro like moldavite?

Edited to show pic. I had put a bunch of my smaller minerals and gems in a box during my last move and never unpacked them. My fulgurite was in there but was in 3 pieces instead of the 1 it went in as. :bummed: This shit really is brittle and super lightweight. I might find a way to have it on me while I work glass to improve my concentration, (so maybe I believe in this crazy stuff a lil). I already have citrine on my workstation and on my kiln, so I might need to power up with some more energy... LOL.

[dnug42]

cool stuff...looksdelicate....

[Lake Effected Glass]

If you could find a few hundred feet of copper or other conductive uber thin wire you could atatch wire to a model rocket and luanch it during a lightning storm thereby summuning the lightning by creating a path for it in a charged atmosphere. You could increase your luck by luanching from an unobstructed hill top or mountain. You could like mass produce the stuff then! I have heard from people in the know on this stuff that you can use the glass formations to grid out areas for alien encounters! For real!

[Colin Allhose]

Given natural is always cooler-
I think I'm gonna do a science experiment and see if I can get this to happen.....

http://chemistry.about.com/od/advancedscienceprojects/a/How-To-Make-A-Fulgurite.htm

I've lived in New Orleans for a year now and it rains and Thunder/Lightening storms more here than anywhere I've ever been in my life (used to live in Seattle too) last hurricane season lightening even hit the transformer box of the warehouse I live in and blew it to smithereens; We found the junction box cover on the roof of the warehouse & everything inside the actual box was melted- power out for a week.

I will give results if I can pull it off, although it's not the stormy time of year right now.... by end of next summer I'll get something hopefully :)

[Defenestrated]

I've made "fulgurites" by grounding a coffee can to the core of a microwave oven transformer, filling it with sand, and drawing arcs up through the sand. I bet it could be done with boro scrap or frit. I'll get pics up of my fulgurites when i find them.

DISCLAIMER: Don't try it. Transformers are deadly. Transformers could gang up on you and attack you. If a transformer lodges itself in your throat, you could choke.

[yoloswag420]

We were once a peaceful race of intelligent mechanical beings. But then came the war between the Autobots, who fought for freedom and the Decepticons, who dreamt of tyranny. Overmatched and outnumbered, our defeat was all but certain. But in the wars final days, one Autobot ship escaped the battle. It was carrying a secret cargo, fulgurite, which would have changed our planet's fate. A desperate mission, our final hope...

Cool stuff, Id love to see a boro coral-like attachment on a piece. As far as the rocket with copper wire, makes me wonder if the kite and key of Franklin was really a fulgurite conductor.

[Mr. Wonka]

Here’s a piece of man-made fulgurite that my friend Pete gave me years ago. He worked for the Lightning Research Center at the University of Florida. A PVC tube was filled with Northstar frit and a rocket was fired into the clouds during a storm. It’s one of only a few pieces in existence, and probably the only one on public display in the world (as far as I know) here at The Glass Blowing Center.

The only pieces I know of are owned by Pete, Paul Trautman, LRC, and the Glass Center.


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[aREa541]

Wow Tom, that is awesome. I would honestly prefer that over most natural fulgurites, really cool thanks for sharing!

And that could definitely be put on a piece, somebody start making this stuff it would be a cool business, and there would be a market.

[somewhere]

Here’s a piece of man-made fulgurite that my friend Pete gave me years ago. He worked for the Lightning Research Center at the University of Florida. A PVC tube was filled with Northstar frit and a rocket was fired into the clouds during a storm. It’s one of only a few pieces in existence, and probably the only one on public display in the world (as far as I know) here at The Glass Blowing Center.

The only pieces I know of are owned by Pete, Paul Trautman, LRC, and the Glass Center.

<img src="http://www.talkglass.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=47371"/>

And myself. Pete Goldstein was introduced to glass in my shop and worked here all thru college. When he landed the job at the lightning research center we contacted Paul who sent a box of frit, powder and batch making ingredients. The strike that was used was a by product of bowing testing runway lights. I have a amber purple one in my collection the inside is more impressive then the outside. Every time they would shoot for lightning Pete got a call. I remember him tearing out of the shop more then once in hope of a successful strike. Anyway I got to help pack the tubes and proud to own one of Pete's fulgurites.

Pete has moved on in the material science world making and inventing new ceramic materials used for high tec gadgetry. I need to call him I do know he still has his torch once bitten always a player.

Thanks Tom a trip down memory lane.

[Action Glass]

Anyone got details on how to build this rocket? I've built the ones from the toy section. This seems a little more intricate. Looks like fun in a thunder storm when the powers out.

[istandalone24/7]

same idea, but bigger. forget the testors (or is it estes?) pre made rockets and check out some of the big ones at tower hobbies. i used to be a rocket freak, made my own engines and what not.
for rocket engine supplies check out skywriter.com

[Aymie]

Wow, this thread went some really cool places...made my morning. I am a rock addict...it's the bulk of the weight when I move.

The frit fulgurite is one of the coolest damn things I have ever seen. How about a picture of the AP?

[somewhere]

So I just spent some time looking but my wife cleans house. It's a rather interesting process everything goes into a rubber maid tote and gets labeled with the year and month.
Depending on how much prototypes new ideas and newly acquired art work etc....
shows up on our shelves dictates how often this happens. I think my wife has something against clutter.
Anyway it's like these amazing time capsules of craptacular work, bad ideas and other people's art mixed with a little of this and that.
It will turn up and if possible I will revive this thread.
Right now I'm in a box labeled somewhere. It's all stuff from the old bus (very early glass days) flipping through GD ticket stubs.
So much gold in here I'm rich.
(hypothetical thinking of course)

[Mr. Wonka]

Here are some photos of the original experiment that Pete put together as a power point demo for AGI 2002. I would upload the entire thing, but it's too large.

Enjoy : )

Tom

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[Aymie]

So friggin cool! Thanks Tom.

[blackstoneglass]

And myself. Pete Goldstein was introduced to glass in my shop and worked here all thru college. When he landed the job at the lightning research center we contacted Paul who sent a box of frit, powder and batch making ingredients. The strike that was used was a by product of bowing testing runway lights. I have a amber purple one in my collection the inside is more impressive then the outside. Every time they would shoot for lightning Pete got a call. I remember him tearing out of the shop more then once in hope of a successful strike. Anyway I got to help pack the tubes and proud to own one of Pete's fulgurites.

Pete has moved on in the material science world making and inventing new ceramic materials used for high tec gadgetry. I need to call him I do know he still has his torch once bitten always a player.

Thanks Tom a trip down memory lane.

I remember Pete from agi . those fulgerites were really cool and I always wondered what happened to him. Thanks for the update. Happy to hear he is doing well

[aREa541]

Really cool Tom, those second set of pics really illustrate the process!

I just shared those pics with a gem and mineral forum I am a part of, I am guessing they are gonna dig it!

[LunacyMountain]

I've got tons of that stuff tiny pieces about 1"-3" about pencil diameter some larger...I think I paid .50 for each piece the guy dug it up but I don't think he put the rods in the ground

[ROGUE]

I am a rock addict...

This explains everything! lol

[Aymie]

Pretty much sums me up, right?

[phishinphree]

Hey Tom, could you e-mail me the presentation? I'd be happy to get it up where others can access it. my username @gmail.com.

Specifically, I'm interested in how they spool the wire on those model rockets, wire gauge, etc. This post rekindled my interested in the topic from years ago. But even if it doesn't describe the mechanics, I think many of us would be interested in seeing it.

-Jason

[Hop Head]

If you could find a few hundred feet of copper or other conductive uber thin wire you could atatch wire to a model rocket and luanch it during a lightning storm thereby summuning the lightning by creating a path for it in a charged atmosphere. You could increase your luck by luanching from an unobstructed hill top or mountain. You could like mass produce the stuff then! I have heard from people in the know on this stuff that you can use the glass formations to grid out areas for alien encounters! For real!


:twitch:

[Lake Effected Glass]

Fulgurites are high energy formations do to the nature of their birth. They are particularly noted for their ability to channel and direct energy. Fulgurites have been used to communicate with aliens and entities, or ascended beings in the spirit world. Fulgurites are used by Native Americans to bring rain (cloud-busting), and as charms for protection from lightning. So you make the rocket to get some fulgurites, then use those fulgurites to cuase more storms to get more fulgurites and you will be uber protected from your backpack of fulgurites. Weather-changing of any sort is not recommended, however, unless, as with the Native Americans, one have an exceptionally good sense of the balance of Nature. Please be carefull! If I make CONTACT with aliens first, I will ask them to be kind. I know we are not ready for the Federation yet as a planet but they may let some of us glass workers travel to other worlds for an artistic exchange of sorts.

[Lake Effected Glass]

The native americans should have used fulgurites to request help from Aliens to protect this continent from the lame white folk who ruined it. Well.... hindsights 20/20!

[istandalone24/7]

the aliens just want to stick their probe up our butt....count me out.

[yoloswag420]

The native americans should have used fulgurites to request help from Aliens to protect this continent from the lame white folk who ruined it. Well.... hindsights 20/20!

Your disparagement is sooo 1990's but you're right, we would be much better off in warring tribes with sticks and stones instead of a technologically and ethically advanced first-world society allowing your self expression through any media and the unlimited access to knowledge of any media through the ebil white man's internet. Spread your hate and guilt elsewhere, mudblood. Funny part is, youre probably some suburban white kid indoctrinated by the politically correctards, their self-hate, guilt and lies claiming "my grandma was full Cherokee and so am I" like every other white trash American.

[Icarus]

Spread your hate and guilt elsewhere, mudblood. Funny part is, youre probably some suburban white kid indoctrinated by the politically correctards, their self-hate, guilt and lies claiming "my grandma was full Cherokee and so am I" like every other white trash American.

What the hell?

[yoloswag420]

Love your folk, love your nation, love yourself, be somebody.

[jes]

Very very very interesting thread for many many reasons to me.

Very interesting thanks for sharing your pictures and thoughts,
Nature and Science are booth very cool and important to me.

I hope everyone can get along, I have met lots of nice people from many nations, maybe we are all related somehow...

I seen them ones they got at the CORNING Museum of glass up on the second floor,
they even have apache tears,made me weep man
and some glass thats from the sea
and Meteors from outerspace


I wonder what people, nature and the cosmos will come up with next?

[Lake Effected Glass]

Actualy I am a direct decendant of Crazy Horse. His just bitterness about this "great country" and how it came to be, lives on in my blood! Not sure if ya ever heard of the guy? Im just thinking if he could have harnessed the power of the fulgurites he could have defeated alot more than that loser Custer and his weak ass army. And i have not nor ever been indoctrinated. Its kinda hard to particapate politically when you feel like the people who founded your country where worse than nazis. Trail of tears and shit bra pluss all the shit they left out of your history book! Ya i would rather be in the warring tribes with sticks and stones instead of a technologically and ethically advanced first-world society. I can protect myself from a stick or stone. How does one protect themselves from pollution, predetor drones etc.? And do you realy think we live in a ethically advanced society? Whaaaaat!

[yoloswag420]

You and every other suburban white kid deluded with self-hatred and guilt. What you seek is understanding and belonging and times are not as romantically simple as the archaic past. We should absolutely stop and smell the roses but there is too much atrocity before us today to believe that the now dormant European and all Europeans is responsible for the world's woes and to say and think that is the innate racist character of which you claim to despise despite parading it yourself. Imagine me typing, "The white folk should have used fulgurites to request help from Aliens to protect this continent from the lame native americans who ruined it." Doublethink the doublespeak and double standard presented and see that racism is not a one way street.

[aREa541]

This isn't meant to disparage the Natives that came before me, but I am 100% Native American. I was born and raised here in America.

[istandalone24/7]

our society is anything but ethically advanced.
Mace, did someone shit in your cornflakes this morning? seemed a bit harsh seeing as how lakeeffected's post wasn't attacking anybody, just stating opinion.

[mer]

you can't argue with crazy...

[STROKER]

says you mer^^^

putemupmutherfuker....

[mer]

glove slap baby, glove slap!

[UmaJulz]

you kids...

m.ace is just ruuuuude. where is see-Curr-it-tee?

[Ikensel]

Heres what my sons find looked liek. Not from sand but plain ole dirt.
https://www.facebook.com/#!/media/set/?set=a.1521928083130.69291.1082427066&type=3
let me knwo if the link doesnt work.

[themoch]

doesn't work... :-/

[Ikensel]

FIXXED !
https://www.facebook.com/?ref=logo#!/media/set/?set=a.1521928083130.69291.1082427066&type=3

[Colin Allhose]

Fulgurites have been used to communicate with aliens and entities

I believe I have seen one poking around on in the Melting Pot already....

& Mace, I'm a patriotic as they come but lets slow the roll with senseless hatred... remember we are talking fulgerites here.
Fun Fultra-istic Fulgivity is no place for such Fulgarity. They are made on beaches but lets keep the sand out of our Fulginas ;)

[PyroChixRock]

This isn't meant to disparage the Natives that came before me, but I am 100% Native American. I was born and raised here in America.

Ditto. I'm getting sick of waiting for the boxes on the forms to include "American". Decades past due.

[yoloswag420]

I'm just sick of all these dreadlocked wannabes in Che Guevara tee-shirts trying to steal my bike. Grow up and clean the clown paint off, pinkos. :dieslaugh

Trying to tame this American stallion? Takes more than the common, deceptive beta-approach of unconditional and suicidal tolerance in the name of mediocrity.

The pragmatist in your mind, the pride in your heart, the creation in your will and my name all infamous in your big mouth as we, the only real men left, fight for what shreds of dignity is left for America and Western civilization. We are the 1%.

[yoloswag420]

...and fulgurites rock!

[Icarus]

I'm just sick of all these dreadlocked wannabes in Che Guevara tee-shirts trying to steal my bike. Grow up and clean the clown paint off, pinkos. :dieslaugh

Trying to tame this American stallion? Takes more than the common, deceptive beta-approach of unconditional and suicidal tolerance in the name of mediocrity.

The pragmatist in your mind, the pride in your heart, the creation in your will and my name all infamous in your big mouth as we, the only real men left, fight for what shreds of dignity is left for America and Western civilization. We are the 1%.



Dude, I think you might be on the wrong forum.

[PyroChixRock]

This is so weird!

[yoloswag420]

Am I talking to a bunch of typical apathetic, fast-food serving castrati or a lot of passionate, free-thinking and cultured individuals bent on self expression and invigoration?

For the past few generations we have been taught all this castrating nonsense that has us in-fighting and seemingly suicidal when the majority of this is based in ignorance and arrogance despite most fronting intelligence and humility. The deception is foreign to our nature so most of us do not foresee the implications of a global minority wearing this masochistic velvet-glove served to us by internationalists, socialists and Christians forcing the West to bend knee to everything foreign while cursing it's own. Maybe its ahead of time but with the inevitable decrescendo of the West, we will learn to respect our ancestors, their legacy and our own.

[Icarus]

Do go on...

[yoloswag420]

:)

Culture starts with the craftsman.

[Greymatter Glass]

m.ace, please keep it on topic, you're really not helping whatever cause you are promoting and this is NOT the place for it in any case.

Please, if you feel like you need express your political / ideological concerns to this community take it here: http://www.talkglass.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?37-Politics-and-News

[yoloswag420]

Thank you all for tuning in to this precipice service announcement, your regularly scheduled program will return shortly... For those who choke the red pill down, welcome to the rabbit-hole and may your ventures through Wonderland be as inspiring and enlightening as you hope.
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[Aymie]

M.ace, you aren't making many friends here. Talking to those who don't jump on your crazy train like they are less intelligent or less informed than you is not going to get anything positive accomplished. You were already told there is a place for this sort of discussion. You mucked up a very interesting thread. This thread is about fulgurites, not ancestry nor the epic adventures of Neo. Knock it off please.

[yoloswag420]

All Aboard!!! New page, new lightening glass!
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Thought I made my exit clear but anyways, many thanks to the new friends that have shown interest and to LakeEffectedGlass my hand is extended in friendship to you. Much respect to all with self-respect. Love ya, fuckers.

[Defenestrated]

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