Ever see a ball of lightning chasing a cow? Neither have I, but apparently enough people have that for centuries scientists have wondered about the nature of these lightning balls. The mystery may soon be solved as researchers at Tel Aviv University in Israel have recently developed a system to successfully reproduce these balls in the lab. The system uses a “microwave drill” constructed from a magnetron scrapped from a standard microwave oven to focus energy and superheat a substrate. The scientists hope that being able to study the balls of lightning in the lab may lead to practical applications besides scaring the hell out of cows.