Some old wives tales actually turn out to be true. For example, you can determine your distance from a lightning bolt if you count the seconds between the flash of lightning and the clap of thunder. Next, simply divide by five and you have the miles. Sound travels at around 1100 feet per second, so timing the interval between the visible lightning strike and the audible bang of thunder is usually a great indicator of how close (or far) you are from where the lightning actually struck.
