Wisconsin

Couple Electrocuted After Attempting Viral Wood-Burning Art Technique

The figures are named after Georg Lichtenberg, who discovered them in 1777 while experimenting with static electricity

Lichtenberg machine for lightning wood
Jokerbee12/Getty Images

A Wisconsin couple was electrocuted attempting a popular, but dangerous wood-burning technique, law enforcement officials said.

The "fractal burning" technique creates lightning-like etchings by using jumper cables and disassembled microwave parts to run high-voltage electricity through a piece of wood soaked in a chemical solution.

It yields patterns known as Lichtenberg figures, named after the physicist Georg Lichtenberg who discovered them in 1777 while experimenting with static electricity.

For more on this story, go to NBC News.

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