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Electric Wands May Snuff Out Fires, But More 'Star Wars' Than 'Harry Potter'

by Leila Brillson on March 29, 2011 at 03:50 PM

harry potter as firefighterAguamenti! Firefighters, it appears, may be invoking wand-like magic in order to put out the flames. (Sadly, 'Harry Potter' incantations won't be needed.) Ludovico Cademartiri, a Harvard University physicist, will be unveiling an electrical solution to extinguishing the fires of the future. Employing large electric fields to disrupt a fire may help to eliminate blazes more quickly, and will prevent the sort of damage caused by foam and water. By attaching a wand-like controller to the end of an electrical amplifier, Cademartiri has been able to put out a flame nearly a foot high. Just think: firefighters may no longer need hoses and hydrants. And they'll have wands, which is pretty rad too.

(Geek note: Wouldn't this be a bit more like Force lightning than a Harry Potter spell? Just sayin'.)

Tags: electricity, FireFighting, ForceLightning, HarryPotter, harvard, science, top

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