Prepare to feel the power of Zeus!

This weekend, some lucky LSC guests will get to reach out and grab a half million volt lightning bolt with their hand, like something out of Greek mythology. Except it’s not mythology, it’s science!

Check it out:

Our brilliant STEM educators and exhibitions staff have recently built a Gauntlet of Zeus, which lets you do this fantastic feat.

Made from chain mail, as a full Faraday Suit would be, this gauntlet is perfectly safe thanks to the wonders of physics, which says 1) electricity will flow to the ground by the fastest path possible, and 2) inside a Faraday Cage or Suit, there is no electric field.

The Faraday Cage and Suit are made of aluminum and steel which easily conduct electricity, so, if they are grounded, any electricity from the lightning bolt will flow quickly to the steel floor of the stage. There are no forces pushing the electricity into either the Faraday Cage or Gauntlet of Zeus.

Want to experience the Gauntlet of Zeus yourself? As far as we know, this is the only one in the world! We’re incorporating it into our Nikola Tesla Lightning Show, beginning this weekend. A few lucky volunteers will get to feel the power!