It’s no surprise that electrical devices are susceptible to strikes; it is estimated that a lightning strike contains around 30,000,000 volts, and a quick zap to a 12-volt device will certainly destroy it. But lightning is like horseshoes: “Close” counts. There can sometimes be collateral damage when a nearby boat gets hit, either the result of the lightning’s powerful electromagnetic field or the current induced by the field running through the boat’s shore-power cord. This can create strange problems: Some electronics may work fine, others that are adjacent might not, and still others may only work partially. In some cases, compasses have been off by 100 degrees.

How will we sustainably feed future generations of humans? Some researchers believe that hydroponics, a method of growing food with water, nutrients and light but no soil, could be part of the solution. William F. Gericke, a biologist at theUniversity of California  Berkeley, is credited with bringing hydroponics into mainstream consciousness back in the 1930s. The term “hydroponic” comes from the Greek words “hudor” for water and “ponos” for work, so in translation, it essentially means “water-working.” But does it work? Is it safe? Is it really sustainable? And does it produce food that is as nutritious as soil-grown food?