Lightning rod |
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In Medieval Europe, so the story goes, God protected churches from lightning strikes. The houses of the just and the unjust got hit, but the highest point in the village, the steeple, was always spared.  The common explanation has it that the metal cross and copper/lead roof allowed a negative point discharge from the steeple reducing the positive charges on the clouds directly above the church, but there is no evidence that points are better than a ball. |
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In modern times, tall buildings are topped with vertical earthed metal rods to do the same thing, deliberately. |