0:00:02 > 0:00:04# Wormy fish-killers Convoys of caterpillars
0:00:04 > 0:00:06# Super-clever brainless slime... Ugh!
0:00:06 > 0:00:08# Bunny-rabbit swarms, raging storms
0:00:08 > 0:00:10# And pigs that swim at dinner time
0:00:10 > 0:00:13# Tornadoes of fire Starfish going haywire
0:00:13 > 0:00:15# Algae balls from space! What?!
0:00:15 > 0:00:17# Prairie dogs that chat Birds going splat
0:00:17 > 0:00:19# And fish slapping in your face
0:00:19 > 0:00:21# They're wild and weird Wild and weird
0:00:21 > 0:00:23# Really, really wild and really, really weird
0:00:23 > 0:00:26# They're wild and weird Wild and weird
0:00:26 > 0:00:29# They're really, really wild and really, really wild and weird... #
0:00:29 > 0:00:32We've got an electrifying show for you today,
0:00:32 > 0:00:35as we meet a man who got a shock while tending to his pumpkins.
0:00:35 > 0:00:39- A never-ending storm that... - Never ends?- Yeah, how did you guess?
0:00:39 > 0:00:42And there's a shocking secret lurking in the swamps
0:00:42 > 0:00:44of South America.
0:00:44 > 0:00:45Argh-ah-ah-ah!
0:00:55 > 0:00:57Tim, got to get the washing in!
0:00:57 > 0:00:58The storm's coming!
0:01:00 > 0:01:02- Here's the basket.- Yeah. And?
0:01:02 > 0:01:06- It's your turn.- It's your turn. - It's YOUR turn.- It's YOUR turn.
0:01:06 > 0:01:08- Oh!- Yes!
0:01:08 > 0:01:10I might get struck by lightning!
0:01:10 > 0:01:14Well, according to the Journal Of Lightning Research...
0:01:14 > 0:01:17This is an actual publication - it's a shocking read!
0:01:19 > 0:01:24Yeah, it says here - the odds of getting hit by lightning are
0:01:24 > 0:01:25one in well over a million.
0:01:25 > 0:01:28- So you've got nothing to worry about.- I'll put my rubber boots on.
0:01:28 > 0:01:30Oh! No, I wouldn't do that. Why are you doing that?
0:01:30 > 0:01:33- You're supposed to wear rubber soles, I thought.- No.
0:01:33 > 0:01:36"Rubber boots offer no protection in a lightning storm."
0:01:36 > 0:01:39That's what it says. Yeah.
0:01:39 > 0:01:42"An umbrella, however, increases the risk of being struck."
0:01:42 > 0:01:45Huh. Who'd have thought?
0:01:45 > 0:01:50Go on, you'll be fine. The odds are well and truly on your side.
0:01:50 > 0:01:51Go on, trust me.
0:01:51 > 0:01:53THUNDERCLAP
0:01:54 > 0:01:56Ooh!
0:01:56 > 0:01:58Should have mentioned, actually,
0:01:58 > 0:02:01it also says that the chances of being struck
0:02:01 > 0:02:02are significantly higher
0:02:02 > 0:02:04if you are near or even up a tree.
0:02:06 > 0:02:08Probably best that you didn't go outside.
0:02:08 > 0:02:10Now he tells me(!)
0:02:10 > 0:02:15Hey, it does say here though about a shocking tale from Texas in 2011.
0:02:15 > 0:02:17- Oh?- Yeah.
0:02:17 > 0:02:19TV SWITCHES ON
0:02:21 > 0:02:24- Thanks. - Go on, clean yourself up a bit.
0:02:26 > 0:02:28Whilst his girlfriend Daphne was working out of town,
0:02:28 > 0:02:31electrician Winston Kemp spent a weekend in the garden,
0:02:31 > 0:02:34tending to his prize pumpkins.
0:02:34 > 0:02:38My mind was pretty much on the pumpkins.
0:02:38 > 0:02:42- Cor, he really does love pumpkins, doesn't he?- Mm-hm.
0:02:42 > 0:02:44But it turned out to be
0:02:44 > 0:02:46a very weird weekend for Winston.
0:02:46 > 0:02:51When Daphne returned, he had something very strange to show her.
0:02:51 > 0:02:53- A checked shirt?- No.- Oh.
0:02:53 > 0:02:55It's what was under the shirt -
0:02:55 > 0:02:58an impossibly intricate work of art on his arm.
0:02:58 > 0:03:02When it happened, I was back home in St Angelo, visiting my family.
0:03:03 > 0:03:05When I came back, I saw his arm
0:03:05 > 0:03:06and I took a picture
0:03:06 > 0:03:09and I posted it online and I asked,
0:03:09 > 0:03:12"So, what does your boyfriend do when you go out of town?
0:03:12 > 0:03:15"Well, this is what happens to mine!"
0:03:15 > 0:03:18That looks like a fake tattoo. Or henna.
0:03:18 > 0:03:20A lot of people thought it was a fake.
0:03:20 > 0:03:23They thought it was like henna or a tattoo.
0:03:23 > 0:03:27But Winston hadn't made an ill-advised trip
0:03:27 > 0:03:29to the tattoo parlour.
0:03:29 > 0:03:31No, what had actually happened was far weirder.
0:03:33 > 0:03:35That weekend, a massive storm hit Texas.
0:03:38 > 0:03:42I was trying to save my pumpkins from all the rain we were having,
0:03:42 > 0:03:48so I went outside to try and divert some of the water away from them.
0:03:48 > 0:03:51I heard a really loud noise and I saw a flash.
0:03:51 > 0:03:53There was a lot of shock
0:03:53 > 0:03:55and my arm started to burn.
0:03:55 > 0:03:59Winston had been struck by lightning.
0:04:01 > 0:04:04- What?! No!- Yes.
0:04:04 > 0:04:05Struck by lightning?!
0:04:05 > 0:04:08- Awesome, eh? - No! It's really dangerous!
0:04:08 > 0:04:10It could kill you! It could kill him!
0:04:10 > 0:04:13- Oh, goodness! It didn't kill him, did it?- No, course it didn't.
0:04:13 > 0:04:15- We filmed an interview with him.- Oh, yeah.
0:04:15 > 0:04:18So, if he didn't die, what did happen?
0:04:18 > 0:04:20Well...
0:04:20 > 0:04:22rather than killing him,
0:04:22 > 0:04:26Winston had been left with a remarkable temporary tattoo,
0:04:26 > 0:04:30a bizarre branching pattern, etched from shoulder to elbow.
0:04:30 > 0:04:32Explain.
0:04:32 > 0:04:34Well, it was raining heavily that night
0:04:34 > 0:04:37and a layer of water was running across his skin.
0:04:38 > 0:04:40When lightning struck,
0:04:40 > 0:04:43thousands of volts of electricity discharged through the water,
0:04:43 > 0:04:46bypassing his vital organs and, instead,
0:04:46 > 0:04:49dispersing across the surface of his skin.
0:04:51 > 0:04:55Heat and pressure created what's known as a Lichtenberg figure.
0:04:55 > 0:04:58The pattern on his arm showed exactly where the lightning moved
0:04:58 > 0:05:01as it found the path of least resistance.
0:05:03 > 0:05:05- Are you still confused?- A little.
0:05:05 > 0:05:08I've got a demo set up in the lab, if you think it will help.
0:05:08 > 0:05:12- Oh, yes, please.- Yeah, all right. Just let me collect a few things.
0:05:12 > 0:05:16- Oh, and it's worth noting something as well.- Do not try this at home?
0:05:16 > 0:05:20- Yeah, how did you know? - Oh, just a wild stab in the dark.
0:05:20 > 0:05:24Well, you should know, safety never takes a day off.
0:05:24 > 0:05:26Oh! Back in a minute.
0:05:26 > 0:05:28I'm all right.
0:05:30 > 0:05:31# Danger, danger... #
0:05:31 > 0:05:33To demonstrate how this happens,
0:05:33 > 0:05:37let's substitute rain with a metal Faraday suit.
0:05:37 > 0:05:39- Ooh, very fetching!- Thank you.
0:05:39 > 0:05:41Now, metal and water are more conductive than skin,
0:05:41 > 0:05:45so if you're fully covered lightning will flow around you!
0:05:45 > 0:05:49Ooh, it tickles! It's called the skin effect.
0:05:49 > 0:05:53And it's why I'm able to play with...lightning-ng-ng-ng.
0:05:54 > 0:05:57And it's also why Winston didn't get killed
0:05:57 > 0:05:59and ended up with a nice pattern on his arm.
0:05:59 > 0:06:02I'm like the Emperor out of Star Wars.
0:06:06 > 0:06:09- Woo!- Ha-ha.
0:06:09 > 0:06:11That Winston is one lucky man.
0:06:11 > 0:06:14Yeah, and he makes an awesome pumpkin soup too.
0:06:14 > 0:06:16- Mm.- Oh.
0:06:16 > 0:06:18You know, I guess the next time he tends to his pumpkins,
0:06:18 > 0:06:20he can be reassured by the old adage
0:06:20 > 0:06:23that lightning never strikes twice in the same place.
0:06:23 > 0:06:27- Mm. Not exactly true that, Tim. - Really?- Mm.
0:06:27 > 0:06:29- TV SWITCHES ON - Hands off, Warwood.
0:06:29 > 0:06:31It's mine!
0:06:32 > 0:06:36This is the Catatumbo region in Venezuela.
0:06:36 > 0:06:41- What, there?! Looks like an idyllic, tranquil haven.- During the day, yes.
0:06:41 > 0:06:44But every evening, the atmosphere changes dramatically!
0:06:48 > 0:06:52It's one of the world's most violent and frightening natural spectacles.
0:06:52 > 0:06:54But don't take my word for it.
0:06:54 > 0:06:56Well, whose word are we going to take?
0:06:56 > 0:06:58These storms are so frequent,
0:06:58 > 0:07:01they happen on such a regular basis and for such a long period of time,
0:07:01 > 0:07:04they've been nicknamed Everlasting Storms.
0:07:06 > 0:07:08Liz Bentley, that's who!
0:07:08 > 0:07:12The storms develop about 160 days of the year,
0:07:12 > 0:07:17and we can see, well, 280 strikes of lightning in just an hour.
0:07:19 > 0:07:20I know.
0:07:20 > 0:07:22Brilliant!
0:07:22 > 0:07:24And the local fishermen actually use it
0:07:24 > 0:07:27as a way of directing themselves back into shore.
0:07:27 > 0:07:31This is the Eternal Lightning Storm of Catatumbo.
0:07:31 > 0:07:34It's been going on for centuries and it's the stuff of legend.
0:07:34 > 0:07:37So, what's going on in Catatumbo, then,
0:07:37 > 0:07:40that makes all these ferocious storms everlasting?
0:07:40 > 0:07:42Well, it's all down to geography.
0:07:42 > 0:07:46Oh! Geography. I hate geography.
0:07:46 > 0:07:48Worst subject ever!
0:07:48 > 0:07:51- Well, I've got some graphics. Would that help?- Yeah.
0:07:53 > 0:07:56Being located just above the Equator,
0:07:56 > 0:07:59Catatumbo's weather is pretty much the same all year round,
0:07:59 > 0:08:01with a constant supply of warm, moist air
0:08:01 > 0:08:03blowing in from the Caribbean Sea.
0:08:05 > 0:08:08It's also supplied with a constant source of cold air
0:08:08 > 0:08:11that cascades down from the snow-capped mountains
0:08:11 > 0:08:13that surround the area on three sides.
0:08:14 > 0:08:17But the final and vital ingredient
0:08:17 > 0:08:19that creates these never-ending storms
0:08:19 > 0:08:22arises because of a massive lake nearby.
0:08:23 > 0:08:25Now, see the red arrows?
0:08:25 > 0:08:28JETS BLAST Whoa! Bye!
0:08:28 > 0:08:31- Love them.- No, not out there.
0:08:31 > 0:08:33The graphic red arrows on the screen!
0:08:35 > 0:08:36Oh, right.
0:08:38 > 0:08:40Well, they're massive.
0:08:42 > 0:08:43During the day,
0:08:43 > 0:08:45the hot, tropical sun
0:08:45 > 0:08:47evaporates huge volumes of water
0:08:47 > 0:08:48from the lake,
0:08:48 > 0:08:51represented by the graphic red arrows.
0:08:51 > 0:08:52Nice!
0:08:52 > 0:08:54But every night, winds rush in
0:08:54 > 0:08:55from the mountains.
0:08:55 > 0:08:57They're known as a low-level jet.
0:08:59 > 0:09:02Which is why these storms develop from about midnight
0:09:02 > 0:09:04and then drop away at dawn time
0:09:04 > 0:09:07when this low-level jet just dissipates.
0:09:07 > 0:09:11So the location really pulls all the ingredients together
0:09:11 > 0:09:15to make this the perfect storm-generating system.
0:09:15 > 0:09:18Yeah, everlasting storms. I'll give you that.
0:09:18 > 0:09:21But, you know, it's not always danger from above
0:09:21 > 0:09:22that you've got to worry about.
0:09:22 > 0:09:24- No?- Oh, no, sister.
0:09:24 > 0:09:26You see, lurking in some of the muddy rivers and swamps
0:09:26 > 0:09:29of South America, there's a shocking secret.
0:09:29 > 0:09:31TV SWITCHES ON
0:09:31 > 0:09:34They are legendarily unpleasant to encounter.
0:09:36 > 0:09:39They have a fearsome reputation
0:09:39 > 0:09:41and it's pretty well earned.
0:09:41 > 0:09:44- It's not your agent, is it? - Quiet. Don't interrupt Ken.
0:09:45 > 0:09:48The local fishermen call them "arimna",
0:09:48 > 0:09:50which means to deprive of motion.
0:09:52 > 0:09:55In 2013, in South America,
0:09:55 > 0:09:58one unlucky fisherman discovered first-hand
0:09:58 > 0:10:00whilst reeling in his line.
0:10:00 > 0:10:03Argh-ah-ah-ah!
0:10:03 > 0:10:05HE GASPS AND SHE LAUGHS
0:10:05 > 0:10:07- is it wrong to want to watch that again?- No!
0:10:07 > 0:10:10- Not at all. Plus we've got slow-mo, look.- Oh, good.
0:10:10 > 0:10:13'Argh-ah-ah-ah!'
0:10:13 > 0:10:17- Was he all right?- Yeah, he's not dead, so don't worry, it's fine.
0:10:17 > 0:10:19- So, what happened?- Well...
0:10:19 > 0:10:21Argh-ah-ah-ah!
0:10:21 > 0:10:25He caught an Electrophorus electricus, otherwise known as...
0:10:25 > 0:10:30- An electric eel! I did Latin at school.- Ooh, get you!
0:10:30 > 0:10:32The obvious thing about them
0:10:32 > 0:10:34is they're giving off this unusual force,
0:10:34 > 0:10:38what I kind of call the weapons of mass destruction.
0:10:39 > 0:10:44In terms of voltage, they can give off 600 volts for a very large eel.
0:10:44 > 0:10:46It's a very significant current.
0:10:46 > 0:10:49Yeah, a very significant current.
0:10:49 > 0:10:53- You have no idea what that means, do you?- I do actually.
0:10:53 > 0:10:54It's enough to do this.
0:10:54 > 0:10:57Argh-ah-ah-ah!
0:10:57 > 0:10:58# Dizzy, my head is spinning... #
0:10:58 > 0:11:00Ha-ha! Every time!
0:11:00 > 0:11:02- Question.- Go on.- How?- Ah.
0:11:05 > 0:11:08All muscle cells can generate some electricity.
0:11:08 > 0:11:10Think of a heart monitor.
0:11:10 > 0:11:14That spike is a wave of electric charge, generated by a muscle.
0:11:15 > 0:11:20But electric eels have evolved a way of amping up their muscle cells
0:11:20 > 0:11:22to create a massive charge -
0:11:22 > 0:11:25a shock powerful enough to immobilise a horse.
0:11:25 > 0:11:27- What?!- I know!
0:11:28 > 0:11:31Ken's fascination with electric eels
0:11:31 > 0:11:33led him to make a ground-breaking discovery.
0:11:35 > 0:11:39It's using electricity to reach into other animals' nervous systems
0:11:39 > 0:11:44and activate the neurons in their bodies as a way of remote control.
0:11:44 > 0:11:45It's just phenomenal.
0:11:45 > 0:11:49Imagine that, being able to remote-control an animal nearby.
0:11:49 > 0:11:53I know. I'd like to think of myself though being made of stronger stuff.
0:11:53 > 0:11:55Yeah, nothing could control me. RADIO CRACKLES
0:11:55 > 0:11:58Whoa! That's cool! What's that? ELECTRIC SIZZLES
0:11:58 > 0:12:02Argh! Oh! Argh! Naomi, what are...? Ha-ha, OK, stop that now.
0:12:02 > 0:12:03Naomi...
0:12:03 > 0:12:05Ooh!
0:12:05 > 0:12:09Er, while you're up, Tim, be a love, make me a cup of tea.
0:12:09 > 0:12:11TV SWITCHES ON
0:12:11 > 0:12:14Er, Tim, can you do that talky-commentary thing you do?
0:12:14 > 0:12:16I've got no idea what's going on.
0:12:16 > 0:12:17What's on the screen?
0:12:17 > 0:12:21- The man that keeps falling over. - Oh, right.
0:12:21 > 0:12:25Er, well, the eel mimics the signals running through your own nerves,
0:12:25 > 0:12:28so you can't even control your own body.
0:12:28 > 0:12:30Argh-ah-ah-ah!
0:12:30 > 0:12:32A bit like him. And me.
0:12:32 > 0:12:33And if you're a fish in the Amazon,
0:12:33 > 0:12:36nowhere is safe from the eel's electrical weaponry.
0:12:36 > 0:12:39- KETTLE WHISTLES Do you want sugar?- Yes, please.
0:12:39 > 0:12:42Oh, this is ridiculous. Ken, take over.
0:12:42 > 0:12:44Say you're hidden in the mud, for example,
0:12:44 > 0:12:47what it does is it gives off two of these pulses.
0:12:48 > 0:12:52And what that causes is a massive whole-body involuntary twitch.
0:12:52 > 0:12:53You can't help it,
0:12:53 > 0:12:56because your nervous system is remotely activated.
0:12:56 > 0:12:59And the eel, in turn, is very sensitive to water movement,
0:12:59 > 0:13:02so it detects that twitch and then it's game over.
0:13:04 > 0:13:06# Shock, shock, horror, horror
0:13:06 > 0:13:08# Shock, shock, horror... #
0:13:08 > 0:13:11- Ah!- Here you go.
0:13:11 > 0:13:13Thank you. Ooh! I love this remote control!
0:13:13 > 0:13:15Yeah, I think you've had enough fun for one day.
0:13:15 > 0:13:17IT BEEPS AND BUZZES Oh! Naomi! Awww!
0:13:17 > 0:13:18What does this button do?
0:13:18 > 0:13:21- IT BEEPS - Oh.- Oh, just you wait!
0:13:21 > 0:13:25Can you check if it's still raining for me, please?
0:13:26 > 0:13:28Yeah, I think...
0:13:28 > 0:13:30THUNDERCLAP
0:13:30 > 0:13:33I think it's safe to say it's still raining.
0:13:34 > 0:13:37I think I'll stay inside.
0:13:37 > 0:13:39See you next time.
0:13:39 > 0:13:45# The female of the species is more deadly than the male... #
0:13:45 > 0:13:47# They're wild and weird Wild and weird
0:13:47 > 0:13:49# Really, really wild and really, really weird
0:13:49 > 0:13:51# They're wild and weird Wild and weird
0:13:51 > 0:13:56# They're really, really wild and really, really wild and weird
0:13:58 > 0:14:01# Wild and weird! #