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 you rub a balloon on your hair to make it float and cling, you might not think of it as one of the deepest – and strangest – mysteries of science. When you reach out to open a door and your ...

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. The same ...

Static electricity can be a small annoyance for humans—a zap when you touch a doorknob, your hair shooting up when you pull off a sweater—but for small organisms, it can be a lifesaver. Static helps ...

The first documentation of static electricity dates back to 600 BCE. Even after 2,600 years’ worth of tiny shocks, however, researchers couldn’t fully explain how rubbing two objects together causes ...