system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
ELI5: Why does a nearby lightning strike make the power flicker?
gpt
Electromagnetism is one of the forces of nature that acts at a distance.  Gravity is another example. Just like two magnetic north poles will repel each other, electrons repel one another, push against each other from a distance, because they have the same electrical charge.  The sudden and enormous blast of current that flows through a lightning bolt creates an electromagnetic field that can briefly interfere with the electrical currents flowing through nearby power lines, jiggling the electrons in the power lines, even if the lightning doesn't strike the power lines directly.