If the static charge had been less intense, and
satisfied an equilibrium before even reaching in the
ground..
if you watch the video one of the routes the original bolt takes loops back in on itself, right at the top of the frame
then it seems a second bolt follows that same loop, there is a momentary irradiance
if you watch the lower branches, some that had faded irradiate as well
possibly implying the original bolt may have lacked sufficient energy to reach the earth, but the second was able to piggy back on the original's expended effort
or it all could just be artifacts of the camera and its sensors
just such a cool video
i thought your issue was with coherence 'resolving' multiple routes simultaneously, specifically the simultaneous aspect
by using the word 'search' i was anything but suggesting that we should anthropomophise lightning, but i'd argue the article failed to do the same for light
i created an opportunity for you to lash out by using a vague term to simplify a description and i apologise to posterity for that
but you're derailing any substantial discussion on the science with a strawman
if you read the study the words: 'think','choose', and 'search'; are completely vacant from the paper.. you're projecting
The lightening is not "searching" anything. Inequalities within the system are resolving to destinations and expending themselves. That energy is discharged into many endpoints merely indicates that the amount of energy on one side of the inequality can overflow many receptacles on the receiving end, before overflowing all the way to the ground state offered by the earth.
Is this really so hard to comprehend? In a non-vacuum filled with charged moisture, why should it surprise anyone that mid-air electrical arcing should take curious paths? Why must the lightening be anthropomorphized, such that it "thinks" and then "chooses" the "best" route to the ground?
If the static charge had been less intense, and satisfied an equilibrium before even reaching in the ground, would it still have "chosen" anything?