Chocolates, flowers and helium-filled metallic balloons are popular Valentine’s Day gifts. Hold tight to those balloons on Feb. 14, though, as they can be a headache for energy companies.

Foil balloons cause power outages when released outdoors because their metallic coating conducts electricity and poses a risk to the electric system. A video discussing the hazards posed by foil ...

By collecting and amplifying weak radio signals bounced off large metallic balloons high in the atmosphere, it could send signals across long distances. Within a few years, the Telstar satellite ...