Lightning strikes, lasting less than a half-millionth of a second, often scorch the skin but don't cause internal burns. Just as crucial, most of the electricity in a lightning bolt does not pass through the body. Rather, it dissipates over the skin in what's known as a flashover. Vernon Cooray, a lightning scientist at Uppsala University in Sweden, explains the phenomenon by contrasting the ways a human body and a tree react when struck.
Human-computer interaction (HCI) is the study and planned design of human and computer activities. HCI uses productivity, safety and entertainment to support and fulfill human-computer activities and is applied to various types of computer systems, including air traffic control, nuclear processing, offices and computer gaming.
Research in this area focuses on developing more effective methods for humans to interact with and use computer technology. HCI draws from computer science, sociology, and psychology to create better interfaces, to improve human-human interactions, and to tailor computer technology to the needs of an individual or organization. The department's HCI group specializes in interfaces that help groups of people work together more effectively.