PUBLIC HEALTH ANNOUNCEMENT. Don't use your cellphone during a lightning storm. Contrary to popular belief, getting struck by lightning isn't nearly the worst that can happen to you. Generally, the high resistance of your skin works to ground the blast, leaving you little more than singed. According to a new study, however, the presence of a phone disrupts the transmission process, vastly increasing the likelihood of serious internal injury. The findings are particularly on the mind this morning as D.C. experienced an absolutely epic thunderstorm last night. Being a naive Californian who'd only experienced irregular bolts in the past, the constancy of the light led me to believe, for the first half hour, that there were sirens outside. When Zeus nailed my street a few times, though, I revised my opinion. Impressive stuff, but not the sort I want to describe from outside on my LG.
--Ezra Klein
