iPod Thunderstorm Update: Don't Blame the Gadget

The debate continues over whether using an iPod in a thunderstorm -- as a Vancouver jogger did with unfortunate consequences earlier this year -- makes a person more of a lightning rod. A recent letter to the New England Journal of Medicine by Drs. Chris Andrews and Mary Ann Cooper weighs in on the nay side:

There is no evidence that a metal or electronic apparatus worn or carried on the body, whether on the head or elsewhere, makes a person more attractive to lightning. Eardrum perforation is the norm in lightning-related injury, not a sign of any special effect due to an iPod. Once lightning strikes, metal will be incorporated into the pathway of the current...Cranial orifices are likely entry points for lightning current — with known consequences. The iPod merely assists a natural phenomenon.

More on Thunderstorms and iPods [NEJM (via WSJ) ]

P.S. -- You're welcome for spoiling your lunch by including the Journal's photo of the victim.