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

Static electricity may seem simple. Students often learn that rubbing a balloon against their hair will cause negatively charged electrons to jump from the strands to the rubber. Because the different ...

It’s the basis of some of the best-known classroom demonstrations: a phenomenon that literally makes your hair stand on end. Static electricity — or contact electrification or triboelectricity, to use ...

Who hasn't laughed while rubbing a balloon on their sweater and then bringing it close to their neighbor's hair to see it ...

Static electricity is so commonplace that it can come across as simple. Rub a balloon against your head, and the transfer of charges will make your hair stand on end. Shuffle your feet on a carpet, ...

As humans we often think we have a pretty good handle on the basics of the way the world works, from an intuition about gravity good enough to let us walk around, play baseball, and land spacecraft on ...

Static electricity is so commonplace that it can come across as simple. Rub a balloon against your head, and the transfer of charges will make your hair stand on end. Shuffle your feet on a carpet, ...

Static electricity can sometimes turn your hair into an untamed cloud, especially in winter or dry weather. A homemade technique, validated by experts, is both easy and incredibly effective. You know ...