Prokop Diviš And The Lightning Rod

In 1754, Prokop Diviš, a Czech priest, attempted to control the weather but ended up inventing the lightning rod instead.

Diviš was a pastor in Přímětice, a neighborhood in Znojmo near the Austrian border. In addition to preparing weekly sermons, preaching, and conducting worship services, he managed farmland belonging to the abbey. Diviš developed an interest in electricity, a little-understood subject in his time. He began experimenting with small electric voltages, achieving notable success in promoting plant growth and therapy. He published his findings and even demonstrated them at the Imperial Court in Vienna.