Part of the problem is that we have two feet. When lightning strikes the ground nearby, it creates a difference in electric potential between the foot that's closest to the impact point and the more distant one. If that potential is great enough, then an electric currect can jump through one's shoe, go up into the body then down the other leg and back to ground.

Laying down only increases the surface area in contact with the ground, so the best thing to do is get inside.

[–] killea@lemmy.world 9 points 2 days ago (2 children)

Can I just stand on one foot then?

[–] knightly@pawb.social 12 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Feet have non-zero surface area so there's still room for an electric potential between the near and far side of the foot. It'd be smaller so that isn't an entirely terrible idea, but it is by no means foolproof.

[–] kewko@sh.itjust.works 6 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I think as long as it doesn't pass through your heart,you'll be fine with some cooked flesh

[–] Soggy@lemmy.world 1 points 23 hours ago

"Fine". Burns are very serious injuries prone to infection. Internal injuries are way harder to diagnose and treat. That's a rough combination.

[–] Yareckt@lemmynsfw.com 2 points 1 day ago

One Problem I could see with that is that your raised foot still needs to go somewhere. And if the resistance through the path up through your leg and to some part of your raised leg and then from there through the air back into the ground is lower than the one of the path through the ground from your lowered foot to the end of the aforementioned path then the lightning would still travel through your lower body.