Do not DIY: One-million-volt plasma globe shoots arcs two feet in the air
Invented by Nikola Tesla, the plasma globe is a glass sphere that is filled with a mixture of noble gases and features a high-voltage electrode in the center. While visually stimulating, the plasma globe serves no real purpose and lacks the power to be truly awe-inspiring. But what happens when you add a ridiculous amount of power to this novelty invention? You get a death tower that can shoot arcs several feet in the air. In a recent video, YouTuber styropyro demonstrates how to take a plasma globe from 2,500V to 1,000,000V with the help of a Tesla coil. Please, do not try this at home.
About the Author
Alexis GajewskiAlexis Gajewski
Senior Content Strategist
Alexis Gajewski is a manufacturing writer and editor with nearly 20 years of experience covering the people, practices, and technologies that keep industrial facilities running. For more than a decade, she served as Senior Content Strategist for Plant Services, creating content for plant managers, engineers, and maintenance professionals on a variety of industrial topics.
During her tenure, Alexis worked to develop the brand’s digital strategy and helped launch and produce Great Question: A Manufacturing Podcast. She also created The Lighter Side of Manufacturing, a weekly blog that explored the inventive and sometimes humorous side of the industry.
Alexis co-founded Influential Women in Manufacturing, a recognition program that honored 49 women in its first two years, earned an industry award for Best Product Launch, and received a proclamation from Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and a commendation from U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth.
She also led newsroom operations and development at a large media company where she set editorial standards, developed training curriculum, and helped support AI adoption for more than 150 editors across 80+ brands spanning manufacturing, industrial processing, automation, and more.
Additionally, Alexis works as a freelance writer and editor, and her areas of interest include continuous improvement, the skilled workforce, and the role of emerging technology on the plant floor.
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