Image of the Day: What 15,000 volts of electricity looks like through wood

Above is an image of 15,000 volts of electricity streaming through a piece of wood.

 
Melanie Hoff, a 23-year-old student at the Pratt Institute in New York City used alligator clips to direct 15,000 volts of electricity into a piece of plywood carving out artistic branches. “The grain of the wood influences the pattern and direction. The layers of veneer and the glue that holds them together causes the growth to progress much slower than in non-plywood,” said Hoff.

The following video, uploaded to Vimeo on March 1 by Hoff, was recorded over a 10-hour period and combined into this short film, just under three minutes long. Watch the time lapse video “15,000 Volts” below.