The Mystery of Ball Lightning
Like Duolingo, but for The Mystery of Ball Lightning. Tomo turns the whole topic into a game you play five minutes a day, until it actually sticks.
For the part of you with thirty open tabs that never became anything.
54 levels across 4 sections, about 108 minutes end to end, roughly 22 days at five minutes a day. It moves through What is Ball Lightning, How It Behaves, Scientific Theories, and Studying the Unbelievable. It starts from scratch.
Free forever · No credit card · iPhone & Android

Key ideas in The Mystery of Ball Lightning
- Ball lightning typically appears as a floating, glowing sphere
- It moves independently of wind or gravity, often horizontally
- The phenomenon is extremely rare and unpredictable in nature
- It is difficult to reliably reproduce the exact conditions in a laboratory setting
- Standard lightning is a near-instantaneous discharge
- Ball lightning persists significantly longer than a cloud-to-ground strike
- Defining physical characteristics of a ball lightning event
- Ball lightning is most commonly reported during or after thunderstorms
- Reports include orbs entering houses through windows or appearing inside aircraft
- Why ball lightning is difficult to categorize scientifically
- Duration of ball lightning compared to standard lightning
- Common environments where orbs are reported
- Ball lightning involves ionized air particles
- Plasma is the state of matter associated with electrical discharges
- Standard lightning follows a path of least resistance to the ground
- Ball lightning can move horizontally and independently of gravity
You've tried the other tabs
Thirty open tabs. Four facts you actually kept.
You watched. You nodded. By Sunday it was gone.
One answer, then back to scrolling.
Eight weeks. You meant to finish. You didn't.
Tomo gives The Mystery of Ball Lightning the Duolingo treatment: levels, streaks, and quick quizzes that test what you just learned. That game loop is what the tabs above never had, so it's the one you actually finish.
Here's what playing it feels like
A real question from this course. Take your best guess.
If a glowing ball of lightning floated into your room, what shape would it most likely be?
Get it right to open this lesson and 53 more in the app.
Where The Mystery of Ball Lightning takes you
Explore the strange glowing orbs that float through walls and baffle scientists. Learn about the history, sightings, and the science behind this rare weather phenomenon.
- 1
What is Ball Lightning?
- The Glowing Orb Mystery
- How It Differs from Regular Lightning
- Famous Sightings Through History
- Common Shapes and Colors
- 2
How It Behaves
- Floating and Moving Through Air
- Passing Through Glass and Walls
- The Sounds and Smells It Leaves Behind
- How Long Does It Last?
- How It Finally Disappears
- Is It Dangerous to Humans?
- 3
Scientific Theories
- The Vaporized Dirt Theory
- Electricity Trapped in a Bubble
- Microwaves and Hidden Energy
- 4
Studying the Unbelievable
- Trying to Make It in a Lab
- Capturing It on Camera
- The Future of Lightning Research
- Why It Remains a Secret of Nature
- How to Report a Sighting
4 sections · 18 units · 54 levels. Built to play, not to enroll.
You pick the voice
The Mystery of Ball Lightning is taught in the Explain Like I'm 5 style: no big words. promise.. Want a different feel? In the app you can spin up the same topic in any of Tomo's teaching styles. Same facts, totally different vibe.
More Science on Tomo
Quantum Physics for the Curious
Ever wonder how a particle can be in two places at once? Discover the strange rules of the tiny world and how they power the technology in your pocket.
Quantum Physics for the Curious
Ever wonder how a particle can be in two places at once? Skip the scary math and dive straight into the weird, wonderful reality of the subatomic world.
Mastering the Rules of the Universe
Stop memorizing random letters and start seeing the invisible patterns that move the world. Learn how to predict the future using the simple math behind speed, force, and energy.
Mastering the Building Blocks of the Universe
Stop memorizing names and start understanding how everything around you is built. From the air you breathe to the phone in your hand, discover how a few simple elements create our entire world.
Quantum Physics: The Rules of Reality
Discover the strange and beautiful laws that govern the subatomic world, from particles that exist in two places at once to the quantum secrets inside your smartphone.
Quantum Physics: Beyond the Basics
Move past the popular science buzzwords to understand how the subatomic world actually functions. Master the strange logic of particles that exist in multiple states and the invisible connections that link them across space.
Start The Mystery of Ball Lightning today.
Download Tomo, search The Mystery of Ball Lightning, and play your first lesson in under a minute.