Properties of a discharge lamp will change as it ages. A couple percent of argon is added to the neon to improve starting characteristics (Penning Mixture), but the glass envelope slowly absorbs argon, deteriorating the lamp's ability to strike over time. This one's reached just the right age where it works as an avalanche photodetector when excited by an outside source of light. Heard about this but haven't seen it before! Freezer was about 15 years old when this video was taken.

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