The IT Room Electricity Chain Test
Question:

Is it possible to pick up enough static electricity from all of the computer screens in the IT room of a school to send a charge from one end to the other?

Also, is it possible to organise this in such a way as to prevent the final person in the chain from noticing what's happening (and thus not lift his feet, ensuring he remains grounded)?

Methodology:

Simply encourage each person in front of a monitor to simultaneously lift their feet from the floor and touch both their screen and the arm of the person next to them so that the electricity builds as it passes round the room, imparting a mild shock on the unsuspecting subject. It seemed an important question to answer at the time.

Conclusion:

The ability to test whether the charge is sufficient to achieve a notable effect on the end recipient is severely compromised if said recipient receives a sharp clout about the back of the head at precisely the same time as the charge is applied to their cheek.

Don't try to conduct serious scientific studies if not everyone present is willing to take part in the same experiment.
( Moey, Mon 28 Jul 2008, 15:49, Reply)