Could a person ever wield lightning as a weapon? 

arc: A curve, often mapping out what appears to be part of a circle. 

atom: The basic unit of a chemical element. Atoms are made up of a dense nucleus that contains positively charged protons and uncharged neutrons. The nucleus is orbited by a cloud of negatively charged electrons. 

biodiversity: (short for biological diversity) The number and variety of species found within a localized geographic region. 

biologist: A scientist involved in the study of living things. 

caiman: Alligator-like members of the crocodile family that live along rivers, streams and lakes in Central and South America. 

cell: (in biology) The smallest structural and functional unit of an organism. Typically too small to see with the unaided eye, it consists of a watery fluid surrounded by a membrane or wall. Depending on their size, animals are made of anywhere from thousands to trillions of cells. Most organisms, such as yeasts, molds, bacteria and some algae, are composed of only one cell.  

cloud: A plume of molecules or particles, such as water droplets, that move under the action of an outside force, such as wind, radiation or water currents. (in atmospheric science) A mass of airborne water droplets and ice crystals that travel as a plume, usually high in Earth’s atmosphere. Its movement is driven by winds.  

colleague: Someone who works with another; a co-worker or team member. 

conductor: (in physics and engineering) A material through which an electrical current can flow. 

conservation: (v. conserve) The act of preserving or protecting something. The focus of this work can range from art objects to endangered species and other aspects of the natural environment. 

eel: A fish with a snake-like body and no scales. Many migrate from freshwater to salt water when it’s time to spawn. Note: Electric eels are not true eels but a type of knifefish. 

electric charge: The physical property responsible for electric force; it can be negative or positive. 

electricity: A flow of charge, usually from the movement of negatively charged particles, called electrons. 

electrocyte: A cell that generates electricity in some types of fish, such as electric eels. Each cell produces only a small amount of electricity, so these cells are typically stacked in large groups to allow the animal to deliver a larger jolt. 

electron: A negatively charged particle, usually found orbiting the outer regions of an atom; also, the carrier of electricity within solids. 

engineer: A person who uses science and math to solve problems. As a verb, to engineer means to design a device, material or process that will solve some problem or unmet need. 

fiction: (adj. fictional) An idea or a story that is made-up, not a depiction of real events. 

fire: The burning of some fuel, creating a flame that releases light and heat. 

laser: A device that generates an intense beam of coherent light of a single color. Lasers are used in drilling and cutting, alignment and guidance, in data storage and in surgery. 

lightning: A flash of light triggered by the discharge of electricity that occurs between clouds or between a cloud and something on Earth’s surface. The electrical current can cause a flash heating of the air, which can create a sharp crack of thunder. 

metal: Something that conducts electricity well, tends to be shiny (reflective) and is malleable (meaning it can be reshaped with heat and not too much force or pressure). 

molecule: A group of atoms that represents the smallest possible amount of a chemical compound. Molecules can be made of single types of atoms or of different types. For example, the oxygen in air is made of two bound oxygen atoms (O₂). Water is made of two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom (H₂O). 

particle: A minute amount of something. 

physics: The scientific study of the nature and properties of matter and energy. Classical physics is an explanation of the nature and properties of matter and energy that relies on descriptions such as Newton’s laws of motion. Quantum physics, a field of study that emerged later, is a more accurate way of explaining the motions and behavior of matter. A scientist who works in such areas is known as a physicist. 

plasma: (in chemistry and physics) A gaseous state of matter in which electrons separate from the atom. A plasma includes both positively and negatively charged particles.  

prey: (n.) Animal species eaten by others. (v.) To attack and eat another species. 

static electricity: The buildup of excess electric charge on some surface instead of flowing through a material. This charge buildup tends to develop when two things that are not good conductors of electricity rub together. This allows electrons from one of the objects to be picked up and collected by the other. 

technology: The application of scientific knowledge for practical purposes, or the devices, processes and systems that result from those efforts. 

universe: The entire cosmos: All things that exist throughout space and time. It has been expanding since its formation during an event known as the Big Bang, some 13.8 billion years ago (give or take a few hundred million years).