Swiss scientists successfully diverted lightning with a laser

https://lemmy.world/post/1635766

Swiss scientists successfully diverted lightning with a laser - Lemmy.world

Later: Swiss scientists use lasers to cause lightning strikes
Nature powered Tesla coils
I would have thought shooting the laser would just cause lightning to strike the laser emitter itself. But they can tweak the laser to make the air ionization start some distance from the emitter. So, they can make the lighting strike something else. There is a neat picture in the article showing lighting going along, then following the laser beam down for a bit, then leaving the laser beam and going to a tower. People first tried this in 1999.
We’re one step closer to controlling the weather. That is, if you don’t believe we hadn’t already accomplished that with HAARP.
Is there any feasible tech that can harvest energy from a lightning bolt? Maybe a molten salt type thing?
Turns out there’s only about 0.25 kW of energy in a lightning bolt - which costs maybe 5-10 cents in the US - so it’s not really worth it.
MIT School of Engineering | » Is there a way to harness electricity from lightning?

Mit Engineering
Since 1985 everybody knows it's 1.21 GW.
sounds like a supplement renewable energy if you can harvest it cheaply
weaponized lightning?
youtu.be/nIPcCOxuiwM?t=1m42s for slightly ELI5 explanation
New Research: Laser Guided Lightning

YouTube