Similar research has been done on the structure of instant messaging networks. The possible applications to slowing virulent IM worms was also discussed.
One really crude way is to just turn on an AM radio during a storm and listen for the brief pops caused by lightning. One page you should look at is here:
http://www.altair.org/natradio.htm
It talks about the different types of EM radiation created by lightning. I think if you wind some wire around an iron core, connect the wires to a battery and transistor to boost the power and connect it to the speaker you should get some interesting pops during lightning. If you are familiar with band pass filters in electronics you could probably filter it so that you only pick up the frequencies you hear lightning on (which is a very broad range). It isn't hard to hear it. Now lightning prediction...I can't vouch for that.
Similar research has been done on the structure of instant messaging networks. The possible applications to slowing virulent IM worms was also discussed.
http://www.arxiv.org/abs/cond-mat/0206378
One really crude way is to just turn on an AM radio during a storm and listen for the brief pops caused by lightning. One page you should look at is here:
http://www.altair.org/natradio.htm
It talks about the different types of EM radiation created by lightning. I think if you wind some wire around an iron core, connect the wires to a battery and transistor to boost the power and connect it to the speaker you should get some interesting pops during lightning. If you are familiar with band pass filters in electronics you could probably filter it so that you only pick up the frequencies you hear lightning on (which is a very broad range). It isn't hard to hear it. Now lightning prediction...I can't vouch for that.