KING George III was right and Benjamin Franklin was wrong, at least when it
came to the tips of lightning rods. The American scientist and diplomat believed
lightning rods, which he invented in 1749, should have pointed tips, and his
design has been used for over two centuries. But tests on a New Mexico mountain
top show that blunt lightning rods—which George III decreed be used on
royal buildings—are actually more effective at attracting lightning.
Electric charge builds up during thunderstorms, and Franklin’s original aim
was to prevent lightning by dissipating this charge, says Charles Moore, a
retired…
