Team of researchers has demonstrated new techniques that bring lasers as lighting rods closer to reality. When powerful laser beam shoots through air, it leaves thin trail of hot, ionized particles. Because this stream of plasma conducts electricity, it could be used to channel away damaging lightning bolts. Jenya Papeer, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, will present the work on October 22, 2015 at Frontiers in Optics, The Optical Society’s annual meeting and conference.