To Live And Die By Technology

Lightning vs. iPod.This week saw one near miss and one unfortunate death at the hands of technology we all know quite well.

Let’s start with the sad news. A 17-year-old Austrian girl couldn’t keep herself from tweeting, so she reached for a laptop in the worst of places: the bathtub. According to the Austrian Times, the girl likely reached to plug in her dying laptop with soaking wet hands, electrocuting herself. I don’t know how it’s possible not to see that one coming. Think she deserves a Darwin?

Our near miss comes from Essex, where a 14-year-old girl was taking shelter during a storm under a tree with her boyfriend. The girl took a hit from a lightning bolt, the current from which traveled through her headphones and down to her iPod, frying the device and saving her life in the process. The mp3 player soaked up the majority of the damage, leaving the young girl with some burns, all of which are being treated. Luckily she didn’t have her headphones in her ears or this wouldn’t be quite so happy a story.

Moral of the story: Electronics and water don’t mix, except on those rare occasions when they save your life. I wouldn’t test this one, though.

  

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