Plasma Cannons & Tesla Towers: Chasing Lightning

Want to study the raw power of lightning? According to Engineer Grey Leyh you build tools to control it, and that is just what he did. At Maker Faire Bay Area last fall, he walked through two incredible projects that turned extreme physics into reality.

First, he resurrected a plasma cannon.
Starting with an old, powerful device from the iconic Survival Research Labs, Greg rebuilt it with modern parts. Explaining how storing and releasing energy in a microsecond burst—called pulse power—creates bolts carrying tens of thousands of amps. The result? Stable plasma channels that can shred plywood and fry electronics from a distance.

Next, unfolding the secrets of lightning itself.
Greg explores a theory called relativistic runaway breakdown. It suggests lightning could travel much farther than classic physics predicts. To test it, he’s planning something huge: building two 120-foot Tesla towers to generate multi-million-volt lightning arcs in a controlled setting.

In this recap, he shares the design, a working prototype, and the hands-on lessons learned from “safely” bending electricity.

See the cannon fire and the towers take shape. Watch the full video here.