Jonathan McRae

That is quite the title, Scott.

You're very welcome.

Let's start off, because actually static electricity is not as simple as people might think.

But I really struggle with everything when it comes to electricity.

It seems like magic to me.

What happens when I get an electric shock?

Okay, so to stop there, because you're going to have to hold my hand all the way through this, I'm afraid.

So when you say we get charged, so I'm rubbing my feet against the carpet right now.

What is happening that's charging me up?

I'm absorbing electrons?

When you say electrically neutral, do you mean everyone is born, like, you know, when you're born sterile, like everyone is born electrically neutral or we remain electrically neutral until a certain point?

Okay, and so when you say charge, when you say this thing is charged, do you mean it has more electrons, or does it mean that electrons are going in a particular direction?

Like, when you say it's charged after being touched, what do you mean by that?

Oh, okay.

So you have no idea what the direction flow is.

I mean, can it be both at the same time?

Okay, so let me just think about this for a second.

You said if we leave a balloon on the shelf, which is quite a sad image, really, but let's just put that aside.

We have this balloon on the shelf, untouched and unloved, and you see it slowly loses any charge.

Where does that charge go?