Static electricity often just seems like an everyday annoyance when a wool sweater crackles as you pull it off, or when a doorknob delivers an unexpected zap. Regardless, the phenomenon is much ...

Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent every weekday. Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. The first documentation of static electricity dates back to 600 BCE ...

When he rubbed fur on amber, the amber attracted dust. This seemingly trivial observation was the first documentation of static electricity. For over 2,600 years, scientists have grappled with ...

Motions like petting generate static electricity. For the first time, researchers at Northwestern University say they understand how the phenomenon occurrs. “If you put your hand on a cat ...

Static electricity was first observed in 600 B.C., but researchers have struggled to explain how rubbing causes it. In 2019, researchers discovered nanosized surface deformations at play.

In news absolutely no one wants to hear, scientists have just discovered that ticks can fly short distances through the air, thanks to the gravity-defying forces of static electricity. These ...

While in flight, they collect so much static electricity that pollen grains from flowers are pulled up without the insects even touching the plants. The pollen can travel in air gaps across ...

Grinding coffee is a messy business. Static electricity builds up on the grounds, leaving a clingy mess stuck in the grinder. Now, a team of chemists and volcanologists at the University of Oregon ...

Ticks, the pesky insects that can infect humans and animals with a variety of ailments including Lyme disease, are the first known creatures to show a link between static electricity and ...