Arcs 'n' sparks

Some high-voltage hijinks, both man-made and natural.  As a long-time electronic technician, I've gotten my share of jolts--what we used to jokingly refer to as "shaking hands with Reddy Kilowatt"--but never anything quite as energetic as the stuff shown here.

The Teslamania site is also a good source of information on Nikola Tesla (and here), one of the all-time unsung heroes of modern science--without whom the modern world would be a much different place.  Why unsung?  There are a number of reasons, including his eccentricities and the undying enmity of Thomas Edison and Henry Ford.  A fascinating story...