# Is there a light bulb designed to be powered by "static" electricity? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 4, 2025, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-light-bulb-designed-to-be-powered-by-static-electricity/1013880 "2025-02-04T17:18:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Cardinal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cardinal/32/4000_2.png) [@Cardinal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cardinal)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2025, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-light-bulb-designed-to-be-powered-by-static-electricity/1013880/1 "2025-02-04T17:18:56Z")
My dad doesn’t seem to remember that he had a light bulb that could be powered by 2 people holding the base and scuffing your feet on the right kind of carpet. My impression was that it was designed for this. I realize that it can’t actually be static, but I assume the electrons were flowing from one person to the other. I can’t find an example of this device. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2025, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-light-bulb-designed-to-be-powered-by-static-electricity/1013880/2 "2025-02-04T17:39:51Z")
I mean, there is this: > **[Human Powered Light bulb](https://copernicustoys.com/products/human-powered-light?srsltid=AfmBOoqKlVoFl65qBi1kSQ9q7EkI2Bye4KCeI-9pWpVlWmDu6yWSyOZg)** > > Turn your body's natural static charge. You can generate enough static to light up this little bulb. Feet dragging is required! How do you make it Work?Hold one of the wires and walk around a darkened room, dragging your feet on the carpet. This will... ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2025, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-light-bulb-designed-to-be-powered-by-static-electricity/1013880/3 "2025-02-04T17:43:51Z")
Static electricity can briefly illuminate a fluorescent light bulb. (A very brief flicker, but light nonetheless.) [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/ubkEd9mwzes/hqdefault.jpg "Power a Light Bulb From a Balloon! Weather Education Week Experiment #3") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ubkEd9mwzes&t=56s) ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2025, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-light-bulb-designed-to-be-powered-by-static-electricity/1013880/4 "2025-02-05T16:47:52Z")
[![](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/cEQAAOSwnQhXonvC/s-l1600.webp) ](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/cEQAAOSwnQhXonvC/s-l1600.webp) ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2025, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-light-bulb-designed-to-be-powered-by-static-electricity/1013880/5 "2025-02-05T17:37:10Z")
This is an oversimplification, but the “static electricity” you encounter in your home is “rich” with voltage & electric fields, but can’t support sustained _power_. ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2025, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-light-bulb-designed-to-be-powered-by-static-electricity/1013880/6 "2025-02-05T17:49:21Z")
Getting useful electricity from static charge is not easy or practical. Is dad sure it wasn’t an independently powered sensor that glowed in response to some static/E field input? This and (similar but different) vibration generated electricity fall under _energy harvesting_, a minefield of smoky mirrored woo and perpetual machine types with little of use. “Free electricity using the same vast power as lightning!” ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2025, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-light-bulb-designed-to-be-powered-by-static-electricity/1013880/7 "2025-02-05T19:04:24Z")
Steven Wright: > Winny and I lived in a house that ran on static electricity…If you wanted to run the blender, you had to rub balloons on your head. If you wanted to cook, you had to pull off a sweater real quick. ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2025, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-light-bulb-designed-to-be-powered-by-static-electricity/1013880/8 "2025-02-05T22:30:57Z")
> [@Cardinal](#): > > . I realize that it can’t actually be static, but I assume the electrons were flowing from one person to the other. I can’t find an example of this device. Static electricity is called that because the source is not a current flow, even though the actual discharge is a flow. Essentially, a static charge is a capacitor buildup that discharges on contact with a different potential, e.g. ground. That’s why there’s no sustained power. For the charge to build up, it has to be isolated. For sustained power, it has to stay connected. ---
**Author:** ![LivingGhost371](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b9e5f3/32.png) [@LivingGhost371](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LivingGhost371)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2025, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-light-bulb-designed-to-be-powered-by-static-electricity/1013880/9 "2025-02-05T22:37:38Z")
LOL at the clever way to market a standard neon NE2 lamp that goes for about $15 for 10 of them on eBay. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2025, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-light-bulb-designed-to-be-powered-by-static-electricity/1013880/10 "2025-02-05T23:10:52Z")
My theory is that they ended up with a surplus and no buyers, so find a way to sell it to consumers **and** make a crazy profit. ---
**Author:** ![Marvin\_the\_Martian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/marvin_the_martian/32/2898_2.png) [@Marvin\_the\_Martian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marvin_the_Martian)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2025, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-light-bulb-designed-to-be-powered-by-static-electricity/1013880/11 "2025-02-05T23:39:26Z")
> [@bump](#): > > [https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/cEQAAOSwnQhXonvC/s-l1600.webp](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/cEQAAOSwnQhXonvC/s-l1600.webp) When I was a kid I had a gag Uncle Fester light bulb that would glow when you stuck it in your mouth. Until the non-replaceable battery died. Maybe the OP is remembering a similar gag product? ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2025, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-light-bulb-designed-to-be-powered-by-static-electricity/1013880/12 "2025-02-09T21:22:29Z")
I have a keychain attachment which has a light in it. Its made of metal and you hold it in your hand, then touch something metal with it to discharge static electricity without getting shocked. When there is a charge, it makes the light turn on from the static electricity. However even when I’m carrying a lot of static electricity, the light only goes on for a second. > **[Amazon.com: SWEETHOMEDECO 4 Packs Car Static Human Body Static Eliminator...](https://www.amazon.com/SWEETHOMEDECO-Eliminator-Discharger-Anti-Static-Keychain/dp/B0792VB871)** > > 4 Packs Car Static Human Body Static Eliminator Discharger