There’s something unforgettable about a storm that shakes the ground and lights up the sky. Thunderbolts aren’t just flashes of energy—they’re symbols of power that have inspired fear, stories, and even inventions. From ancient gods to modern science, they’ve always been more than just weather. The Science Behind Thunderbolts At its core, a thunderbolt is simply lightning paired with thunder. But the process is anything but simple. Lightning forms when electrical charges build up in storm clouds. The discharge creates a blinding flash of light. Thunder follows as the air expands explosively from the heat. To put it in perspective: a single bolt can carry up to a billion volts of electricity . That’s enough to power a small town—if only we could capture it. Thunderbolts in Ancient Beliefs Long before meteorology, people explained thunderbolts through stories: Zeus in Greek mythology hurled them as weapons of justice. Thor , the Norse god, wielded his hammer to summon storms. Indra in...