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 ...

Anyone who has ever pet a cat or shuffled their feet across the carpet knows that rubbing objects together generates static electricity. But an explanation for this phenomenon has eluded ...

drawing a parallel with stroking a cat although the findings have far wider ramifications. Static electricity was first observed in 600 BCE. Yet for many years modern researchers have struggled to ...

With a better understanding of the mechanisms at play, researchers potentially could introduce new solutions to issues caused by static electricity. Anyone who has ever pet a cat or shuffled their ...