Static electricity is all around us. Who among us has not experienced a painful zap when touching a doorknob after crossing a carpeted room? And what child has not experienced the thrill, or mortification, of looking like a porcupine after having their head rubbed with a balloon?
Given its ubiquity, you would think that we know all there is to know about static electricity, especially since it can be a hazard for tasks as varied as assembling circuit boards, refueling airplanes or keeping the wheels on a Mars rover turning. But
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