Here’s an interesting photo from Matthew Wahl’s Flickr showing the glow from fluorescent tubes as a direct result of the electromagnetic field surrounding overhead power lines. The fluorescent tubes are not plugged in to any power source.
Photo: Peter Dibdin
Richard Box, an artist-in-residence at Bristol University’s physics department, was one of the first people to discover the phenomenon. He describes it below:
A fluorescent tube glows when an electrical voltage is set up across it. The electric field set up inside the tube excites atoms of mercury gas, making them emit ultraviolet light. This invisible light strikes the phosphor coating on the glass tube, making it glow. Because powerlines are typically 400,000 volts, and Earth is at an electrical potential voltage of zero volts, pylons create electric fields between the cables they carry and the ground.
Box denies that he aimed to draw attention to the potential dangers of powerlines, ‘For me, it was just the amazement of taking something that’s invisible and making it visible,’ he says. ‘When it worked, I thought: ‘This is amazing.’’
Check out this Quicktime panorama of Richard Box’s FIELD project.
Keep in mind that the bulbs do not necessarily glow that bright on their own. Many of the images taken of bulbs in these scenarios are long exposures. However, the bulbs do glow enough to see with the naked eye, so the awe in seeing this occurrence will surely still be there if you were to try this for yourself.
Cool! I’d love to try this one day. 
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I couldn’t think of this. So wireless lighting is possible!!
Box definitely was not one of the first to discover this……..radio men in WWII found this out also when working on VLF radio transmitter sites.
If you don’t know anything about photography or Photoshop please just keep your stupid and ignorant remarks to yourself.
Its funny how these kind of posts either get people who know what they are talking about or complete idiots… there is nothing in between anymore.
It is obviously a long exposure and the subject is moving his body and waving his arm(s). If someone wanted to ‘fake’ this photo they wouldn’t need to do a double exposure. Just doing a double exposure would take more time and effort than just ‘Photoshopping’ it in the first place.
If you don’t like the post don’t take the time to read it and get lost!
huh, my parents live in a house right under some of those high-power lines, and in the garage they have a fluorescent light just like this… I noticed when I was young that it still gave some light at night when it was turned off, interesting to finally see the link between those cables and the light
All, please don’t waste time admiring this !! its FAKE !! the reason is the following -
The Frequency of Transmitting AC on those overheads is low (50-60Hz) even though the voltage is high, the radiation is not powerful enough to glow Fluorescent lights.
Its basic EM theory my friends !!
A more complex setup is required to get it glowing !!
Cheers !!
Dallas DOC
I know its been a while since this was posted, but you are completely wrong DALLAS DOC. you shouldnt judge things so quickly. i did this experiment myself tonight and the bulbs did glow. okay, so it wasnt incredibly bright, but it was still enough to know that something was happening. so next time, before you decide to dash what could be a fun project for someone, you should take the time to actually try it instead of relying on your “basic EM theory”.
For someone who knows EM theory…did you not think about conservation of energy? They teach that in elementary school science class. The reason new wireless technology (cell phones, cordless land line phones, wifi etc…) can span such a large distance with such a short antenna (small) is because the frequency is so high (large). On the other hand…if the frequency is low as you said…50-60Hz(small), and the antenna is long (those wires span for miles…large) the radiation will still be able to span quite a distance.
…and another fun fact: Put a regular (not power saving) light bulb in a clear drinking glass and put enough water in the class to cover the metal part. Then put the glass and lightbulb in the microwave for a few seconds. It will light up. Just be sure the metal part is covered so you don’t hurt your microwave!
heh, im just saying
im in 6th grade right now so the end of elementary
they did not…
From someone who has ACTUALLY studied EM field theory, this is possible. The frequency of the power lines is not important (as long as it’s over 10 Hz or so.) What matters is the ELECTRIC FIELD strength, which even at a distance is quite significant for HV transmission lines. It is the quasistatic electric field, not the combined EM radiation, that makes this work.
Tesla figured this out awhile go… very pretty, but years behind science.
Helloooooo cancer!
how would you get cancer ?
you could a lightsaber battle with the fluorescent tubes, that would be awesome.
you could also learn common english and grammar.
What’s wrong with his english or grammar? It’s no worse than yours…
And neither are incorrect…
Read the first one, it doesn’t make any sense. “you could a lightsaber battle”???
BTW, that “battle” would last until the first hit, then the involved idiots would be in the ER…
You could also learn to capitalize properly.
if this was real then other electrical circuits could run off the magnetic fluxs from the power lines…free energy…this is fake…fake…fake..
Yes you can, and its not free it reduces the energy being delivered by the transmission line.
If you put a coil of wire by a transmission line, you can steal the electric company’s power.
Hey Clown go try it. I’ll bet the farm its real. I’m a power lineman and I have seen all sorts of induction (electrostatic and electromagnetic) including the one in question. If your looking for a good documentry on the subject check out “Shock and awe: the history of electricity” (it clearly shows induction lighting).
i used to take mushrooms and have star wars fights under the power lines
sounds like another fine american citizen.
Hahahaha.
[...] Here, this is science art you can try at home: Ordinary fluorescent lights + power lines = GLOW. [...]
um, real.
there is no doubt to these photos.
this trick has been known for years
If this was one of the ‘discoveries’ of Bristol universities’ physics department, I can’t wait to see what else they will unveil next – perhaps the phenomenon of electron flow in electric cables?
Whaaaa…impressing ! The guy learnt his physics…
or he has seen the Prestige… as mentioned above.
“was one of the first people to discover the phenomenon”. Oh really? When was this? We used to do exactly this at our party spot under the power lines, back in mid 1980′s.
Ain’t nothing new…
Agreed. He just “rediscovered” someone else’s discovery.
Louise B. Young noticed this in 1973, and wrote the book Power Over People — about the electrical industry. I have a photo of her standing under a power line holding a fluorescent light bulb, which is glowing.
Louise B. Young http://www.google.com/imgres?hl=en&sa=X&rls=com.microsoft:en-us:IE-SearchBox&biw=1378&bih=672&tbm=isch&prmd=imvnso&tbnid=jaet4bUFlPIAsM:&imgrefurl=http://limpingmessenger.wordpress.com/2009/05/14/radiation-from-electric-transmission-lines-is-dangerous/&docid=waGjd76bO7_m8M&imgurl=http://limpingmessenger.files.wordpress.com/2009/05/youngpoweroverpeople1973b.jpg&w=685&h=1046&ei=obg5T_v6FKPKiQL_0JmfBg&zoom=1&iact=hc&dur=2829&sig=112802999538755652939&page=1&tbnh=151&tbnw=97&start=0&ndsp=23&ved=1t:429,r:2,s:0&tx=116&ty=304&vpx=485&vpy=114&hovh=278&hovw=182
THIS IS SWWWWEEEEETTT.. I bet if you were baked it would be even better.
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This is really strange and a bit scary. Make me want to avoid high power lines.
Fluorescent lighting did not exist when Tesla was alive. If you want to attribute the knowledge of electromagnetic fields carrying energy to someone, give it to Maxwell, who described the behavior in mathematical terms.
The first patent for the florescent bulb was in 1901. Tesla died in 1943. The International System of Units unit measuring magnetic field B (also referred to as the magnetic flux density and magnetic induction), the tesla, was named in his honor (at the Conférence Générale des Poids et Mesures, Paris, 1960), as well as the Tesla effect of wireless energy transfer to wirelessly power electronic devices (which Tesla demonstrated on a low scale with incandescent light bulbs as early as 1893 and aspired to use for the intercontinental transmission of industrial power levels in his unfinished Wardenclyffe Tower project).
Look before you leap.
“Richard Box, an artist-in-residence at Bristol University’s physics department, was one of the first people to discover the phenomenon.”
Actually, Nikola Tesla figured this out well over one hundred years ago. Along with alternating currents and pretty much anything to do with inventing our modern way of life.
My practical practices lecturer showed me a photo taken with this technique and I was amazed, i’d love to try it.
This is NOT news. Decades ago, this phenomenon was demonstrated. I tried this experiment when I was growing up in the 1970′s. A researcher did this and wrote a book about it called Power Over People.
DOES ANYOF YOU NOTICE THE SEE THROUGH MAN OR GHOST IN THE FIRST PIC? IF NOT UR BLIND!!!!!!!!!
He appears ghost like because the photo was taken via long exposure. so he didn’t stand there the entire time the photograph was being taken.
anyways, as far as the subject at hand, It’s very possible to have energy transmission between a power source and a device or such. heck, if you want a simple example: The sun and many living things.
It has actually been researched to have miniature devices able to receive energy via radio source. However, radio waves are too weak, and anything more is potentially too hazardous or impractical.
Mythbusters busted this already. Fake.
They got it wrong… as they often do. That’s why they revisit stuff. Sometimes they get it right the second time.
This is low level stuff. You can lay out wires on the ground under the High Power lines and run some appliances. They used to bust hippies for this in Siskiyou County for doing just that in the late sixties and seventies.
Anyone who thinks they discovered this phenomenon is not a Physicist. This was discovered in 1831 by Faraday under the physical laws governing electricity and magnetism. It’s how transformers work – flowing electricity produces a magnetic field which causes electricity to flow elsewhere without physical contact. Physics 101.
Flourescent lighting is a relatively recent invention, but not electricity. The laws governing a flourescent light is exactly the same as other electrical appliances. Idiots.
The flouresant light was invented in 1901. U.S. patent 889,692
[...] done by placing them directly under some huge powerlines. more cool pictures like this and info here Post Published: 25 December 2009 Author: Mr. Hell Found in section: test [...]
I tried this down the road from my house. I had two identical fluro-tubes. The first time it didn’t do anything at all. So I went back, soldered a large piece of copper tube to the pins at one end of the tube. I then dug a small hole and buried one end in the ground…..
It kinda worked. It lit up tiny bit at both ends. I had a piece of micro-fibre cloth with me and I rubbed the tube a few times. It glowed brighter with the cloth than the powerlines alone.
I think the glow would depend on the density of the powerlines. Ours had 10-12 lines. And the distance from the lines to the ground.
Perfect conditions in pitch black, I think you could dimly light the whole tube.
To all of you who think this isn’t possible, perhaps you need to study Gauss’s Law and learn a little about E-fileds. High electric currents produce strong fields that are measurable. I would not doubt that these pictures are too far from the truth.
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thrilling em demo!
But i believe this would 1day b explained if tesla was alive and if it is possible, go and put insulated coil terminalized with load try once this must work
Nikola Tesla knew how to produce and provide electricity wirelessly — perhaps this was how he aimed to do it. Sadly, he had no $$$ to continue his research and it was lost to us.
soooo how much energy is being wasted?
why dont we have devices to recoup this energy?
why dont we have wireless lighting?
wtf science….you are one crazy motherfucker
i guess a large amount of power is wasted in doing dis…but the technology which is used US is gud were in they charge their laptop, mobile etc.
it purely works on TESLA.
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This is not new … this was not just discovered… They also just came out with an article about a russian kid ‘discovering’ this. These seem like ‘discoveries’ because the science end of this was SQUASHED for civilian use. The tech is only military now or idustrial. Reason being, if applied to near any civilian use energy would be impossible to charge for, and the electric companies wouldn’t profit. Get an education, study tesla, then talk.