Seeing the process in action is almost magical, but it works by using the effects the plasma has on the air against itself.

Electric sparks are used for welding, powering electronics, killing germs or for igniting the fuel in some car engines. Despite their usefulness, they are hard to control in open space—they split into ...

Researchers from Spain, Finland and Canada have shown for the first time that electric sparks can be guided using ultrasonic waves. In the study ...

This allows the controller to more efficiently match its drive to the AC frequency demanded by the motor at a particular speed, and is responsible for the “gear change” sound of many electric ...