Calling forth lightning from the skies to your do your bidding has probably long been a dream of many. I know on more than one occasion myself, I'd wish the skies would open up, with their crackly ferocity -- just last week for example, I was at a restaurant, and the server forgot my diet coke. Sure I smiled and told her it was alright -- but in my head I was thinking: Boy I'd really like to zap you with lightning right now.

Well it turns out some snazzy researchers are working on this very thing. Their stated research goal is not to zap servers (although, this could be their unspoken plan) -- instead, they are looking at triggering all sorts of cloud-based electrical activity using the power of L.A.S.E.Rs.

With a five terawatt laser, the French and German research team were zapping clouds over New Mexico, to test out certain hypotheses that have been around since the 1970s. It's actually fairly straight forward science -- just getting the 5 terawat lasers has been the problem so far. But thankfully, a laser company came to the rescue and built the Teramobile laser, which was perfect for just this sort of occasion.

What these wacky scientists do is fire the laser into suitable clouds, and the beam heats up the molecules in its path, sort of making a  "channel of ionised molecules" which is capable of conducting electricity. The test wasn't able to produce lightning this time around -- but they did find some measures of success, and the team is certain they could trigger thunder with a few quick laser pulses, and that the lightning theory is sound.

Besides decimating stuff with lightning bolts, these experiments could lead to practical applications even beyond war-making.  One of the researchers -- a gentleman who goes by the name of Mysyrowicz --  said that it would pretty smart if they discharged clouds of excess electrical capacity, say, before launching an expensive rocket into space (in order to prevent an accident).