On a June afternoon in 1752, the sky began to get dark over the city. As the storm broke, most people surely hurried inside, but not Benjamin Franklin. He decided it was the perfect time to fly a kite.
Franklin had been waiting for a chance like this. He wanted to show the connection between lightning(闪电)and electricity, and to do so, he needed a storm.
He walked into a field, and flew a kite with a piece of rope tied to it. A key was tied to the rope. The lightning hit the kite, and electricity passed through the rope to the key. Franklin then touched the key with his finger and got an electric shock(电击). This, he said, proved(证明)the electrical nature of lightning.
For many years, schools have taught the story of Franklin's experiment. Millions of schoolchildren have been amazed by his courage and his scientific spirit of looking for the truth. However, new research suggests that the story may be fiction instead of fact.
Although Franklin's experiment took place, more than one scientist has questioned what really happened. It's true that he did the experiment with the rope and the key. But scientists all agree that if Franklin had actually touched the key, he would certainly have died from the electric shock.
Scientists often question accepted ideas because they want to find out the facts. Some have even questioned the story about the apple that fell on Newton's head. Many reports suggest that although the falling apple certainly provided ideas, there is nothing to show that the apple actually hit him on the head.
In fact, fiction is often more interesting than the truth. People have been more encouraged by Franklin's spirit than by the facts themselves. But in science, facts should be tested by experiments and research, and we should not always believe everything we read or hear— even if it is a great story.
