By Andrew Liszewski
Who needs batteries to power a flashlight when human beings are able to generate in excess of 10,000 volts of static electricity? Not anyone carrying around one of these static powered bulbs, that’s for sure. Just hold onto one of the bulb’s wires and drag your feet as you walk across a carpeted floor. A static charge builds up and discharges through the bulb in your hand, causing it to glow.
The bulb works best in a darkened room, which is where you’d typically need a flashlight, but somehow I don’t see it replacing a Maglite anytime soon. Not only is it probably impossible to see where you’re going while using it, but you can’t exactly lay the smackdown on a home intruder with a couple of wires and a small bulb. (Unless the military has trained you to.) But it’s great as an experiment to keep the kids from shocking each other on a dry Winter day.
The static powered bulbs are available from Edmund Scientific for $4.95 each.
