Lighting strike zaps PS2 player

[alvino]

Some may say the violent gameplay of Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto III is shocking. David Robinson, a 14-year-old boy from New Hampshire, knows better than most. While playing the game in the basement of his home during an electrical storm, lightning passed through his television and shocked Robinson through his PlayStation 2 controller. "I was worried my PlayStation was broken," Robinson told NH newspaper Foster's Daily Democrat. Remarkably, Robinson was not seriously injured. The controller, however, was fried.

http://www.gamespot.com/news/2005/07/01/news_6128565.html

I find this kinda funny

 

[lurkswithin]

yes, as written, I can see where it would seem funny to some.
To me though it is the use of humour to cover up a very serious issue.
With more and more electical devices being used across the countries there are becoming more and more deaths or serious injuries being caused by electical shock every year. Articles like this take away from the seriousness of the actions of using these electrical devices during thunderstorms and the likes. There was a few postings here not less than a month ago concerning just this scenerio.
This should not be taken so lightly, not only for the deaths or serious injuries that have been reported but also because of the MILLIONS of dollars lost.
Would you think it so funny had it been that your equipment was fried?

 

[Nik00117]

Its funny till your comp fries. But if you use proper protection you should be ok.

 

[David Lindon]

Haha. Very good.

 

[IAntDemo]

wow thats scary

 

[alvino]

yes, as written, I can see where it would seem funny to some.
To me though it is the use of humour to cover up a very serious issue.
With more and more electical devices being used across the countries there are becoming more and more deaths or serious injuries being caused by electical shock every year. Articles like this take away from the seriousness of the actions of using these electrical devices during thunderstorms and the likes. There was a few postings here not less than a month ago concerning just this scenerio.
This should not be taken so lightly, not only for the deaths or serious injuries that have been reported but also because of the MILLIONS of dollars lost.
Would you think it so funny had it been that your equipment was fried?

Sheesh, lighten up. It's just weird that the boy could be zapped because the controller is encased in plastic, but since I'm not a scientist, there is a possibility that it could happen.

 

[lurkswithin]

Sheesh, lighten up. It's just weird that the boy could be zapped because the controller is encased in plastic, but since I'm not a scientist, there is a possibility that it could happen.

Alvino, sorry if you think that I am a stiff...But I will not lighten up on what I believe to be a serious breach of protocol for a health and safety issue. I deal with children everyday that are physically maimed and handicapped because of violated safety issues. Mostly because they believe that it won't happen to them, or they failed to abide by safety proceedures. These things are mostly brought about by cartoons and jokes and other things that make "light " of the subject matter.
And this is a perfect example..... You didn't think that the power of lightning could jump through the TV and through a game controller like it did simply because it was plastic. And sadly to say, others also believe that.
It was not weird, just uncommon and with more and more people and so on and all that....it will become more common place.

 

[Techy Geek]

lol, I find that quite funny. I don't actually have protection ie UPS or surge protector. But luckily I fixed my laptop today (after like 2 months, god im happy REJOICE) but i had to put on a new plug, I soldered it onto the end of the wire. I think that if there was a bolt of lightning going down the wire, it'd easily melt the solder and thus my laptop would be protected, screw the desktop, that'd get fried. Isnt that what fuses are for though (I know they serve other purposes.
As for the protection of plastic...with everyday levels of power (eg 240 volts) you should be OK, but if there are 1000's of volts, it may pass through the plastic as it is very high resistance, but not a complete insulator

 

[winterfreshpwnz]

Wow that sucks.

 

[lurkswithin]

TechyGeek, a fuse burns out after the current has already passed through it. A wire will melt only after the current has passed through it and exceeded its load value also. And an electrical surge such as lightning has been known to jump many meters through the air and maintain the broken connections just to continue its path of least resistance till its energy source is exhausted and the break becomes to far to bridge any more.