Can Africa’s ‘electric rock’ power light bulbs on its own? Experts tell the truth behind viral videos

Social media is inundated with posts claiming a new kind of rock discovered in Africa can actually produce electricity on its own and power bulbs and LEDs. Many news portals and prominent African personalities, including South African businessman Daniel Marven, shared videos on Twitter showing the rock powering an electric bulb via wires. Viral videos on social media appear to indicate the discovery of these rocks has been made in DR Congo.

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The videos left users speculating whether the game-changing discovery could solve Africa’s electricity problem, while others argued that the continent should not share the valuable mineral with Western countries. But now a group of experts has dashed the hopes of those wondering whether such rocks could become the answer to Africa’s energy questions.

The truth behind the viral video

Experts quoted by BBC claim that the rocks are just good conductors of electricity and are connected to batteries not visible in the tightly-framed videos. For instance, a video showing two sparking rocks shows a gloved hand in the bottom, which is itself revealing.

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According to Prof Stuart Haszeldine of the School of GeoSciences at Edinburgh University, “the current is flowing from the out-of-shot battery, through the rock being held with the glove (so the current doesn't flow through the gloved hand) and to earth via the second rock."

Can African rock really power a LED bulb?

Another video showing a rock illuminating LED bulb also has three hands in it, which means at least two people are in action behind the scene to pull off what seems an illusion. Prof Stuart commented, “It looks to me that the current flows when two hands touch, and the wires are mostly illusion. So it may be just as interesting to get a close-up magician to look, and see if a trick of misdirection can be spotted."

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Which metal is shown in the viral video?

The original video showing Africa’s magical rocks was first uploaded on Facebook in November last year, with a caption that read, “Lithium?” Some Twitter posts claimed that the rocks were discovered in Zimbabwe, a major producer of Lithium in Africa.

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