Dear Urban Legends:
I believe we are seeing the start of a new urban legend here. Yesterday morning I was reading a news article on the cbc.ca website about a person in B.C. Canada in 2005 being struck by lightning while jogging. It seems that he was the victim of "flashover." That is, the strike jumped from the tree to another grounded source (the jogger) and knocked him about 8 feet. Unfortunately he was wearing an iPod and the charge hit him, entered the iPod (fried it good), and traveled up the headphone wires and caused severe damage to his ears. The charge also ran down his leg and blew up his sneaker. He survived. Investigating experts clearly stated that the iPod in NO way had anything to do with the strike.
Within minutes after reading this I received an email warning of how a man in Toronto was hit by lightning because he was wearing an iPod and that everyone should not use iPods for fear of being struck by lightning. It seems that the Toronto Star ran the same story on the same day but with a more deceiving headline. An urban myth is born!!
Dear Reader:
As always, the devil is in the details. The case you mention inspired a flurry of news reports after it was discussed in a letter to the editor of the New England Journal of Medicine in July 2007. Most of the reporters got their facts straight (with a few notable exceptions), but not all of them managed to squeeze a crucial distinction into the lede, namely that although wearing an iPod or similar electronic device may increase the severity of injuries sustained in a lightning strike, there is no evidence that it increases one's chances of being struck by lightning in the first place. MP3 players don't "attract" lightning, in other words. What's dangerous about using them during a thunderstorm is that if lightning does strike, the charge is conducted via the earphones straight to your head.
A similar incident occurred in Castle Rock, Colorado in 2006. Jason Bunch, 18, was struck by lightning while mowing the lawn, and happened to be wearing an iPod at the time. He suffered ruptured eardrums and burns on his face and side when electricity coursed through the wiring of the device. Experts also say that using a cell phone can potentially increase the severity of lightning injuries, as can metal piercings, and even jewelry.
Without being alarmist, it is fair to view all this as a wake-up call to users of music players and other portable electronic devices. If you are in a situation in which you believe there is a risk of a lightning strike, prudence dictates putting down your cell phone and removing your iPod (and your stainless steel nose ring) until the storm passes. You'll be no more or less likely to be struck, but if it should happen you will have a better chance of surviving without serious injury.
Sources and further reading:
Thunderstorms and iPods - Not a Good iDea
New England Journal of Medicine, 12 July 2007Shocking! IPod Plus Lightning Equals Trouble
Computerworld, 12 July 2007Scientists Warn of iPod's Shock Value
The Guardian, 12 July 2007Cell Phones Increase Risk of Death by Lightning, Doctors Claim
LiveScience, 22 June 2006
Last updated: 07/16/07
