Canadian specialist Dr Eric Heffernan was part of a medical team that wrote to the New England Journal of Medicine to report on the latest discoveries between the aural pleasures of iPod ownership and the dangers of iPod usage when outside in a storm.

Dr Heffernan said in the report that: "Most people hit by lightning get away with minor burns. It's because skin is highly resistant and stops electricity from entering the body. It's called the flashover effect -- although it can stop your heart and kill you."
 
The report also details the story of and injuries suffered by a 35-year old jogger who found himself in a storm, listening to an iPod, when lightning struck, even thought the jogger was trying to ‘safely’ stay under a tree.

Despite listening to ‘religious music’ at the time, the jogger’s eardrums were pierced, resulting in a 50% hearing loss that still affects the jogger to this day, along with burn marks and a jaw that immediately broke in four places, limiting the jogger’s religious fortune to leaving the encounter still actually alive, as opposed to losing his life altogether.

So, be safe when using iPods or any electronic device during storms and turn them off, as being struck by lightning is clearly an incredibly unpleasant and life-threatening experience, made worse by the digital experience.

It’s also pretty much the only example of where an iPod turn off turns out to be a welcome thing!

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Alex Zaharov-Reutt  Apple  Climate  Gadgets  Hardware  Mobility  Music  iPod