Shuffling across the carpet to zap a friend may be the oldest trick in the book, but on a deep level that prank still mystifies scientists, even after thousands of years of study. Now Princeton ...

Scientists at Northwestern University may have figured out why walking on carpet in your socks, petting your furry friend, or rubbing a balloon on your hair creates static electricity. In a new study, ...

Scientists are largely clueless about the origins of static electricity. A quirky group of researchers aims to change that.

Discover the amazing science behind static electricity and learn why your hair stands up after rubbing a balloon! A fun and ...

WEST LAFAYETTE, IN — If you've been left with a sore finger after reaching for a doorknob this winter, suffering from a sharp static electricity shock, you're not alone. Erica Carlson, 150th ...

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 ...

Nancy Shute reviews new research in static electricity and other science revelations in our September magazine issue.

For centuries, static electricity has been the subject of intrigue and scientific investigation. Now, researchers from the Waitukaitis group at the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA) ...

The zap you feel the moment you touch a doorknob in winter, or the crackling sound when you take off your clothes—aren't these the images of static electricity that come to mind for most people as ...

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Rachael has a degree in Zoology from the University of Southampton, and specializes in animal behavior, evolution, palaeontology, and the environment. Rachael has a degree in Zoology from the ...