The DemystifySci Podcast

Unsolved Mysteries of Electrostatics - Dr. Andre Assis, DemystifySci #364

Sep 16, 2025
Guest
Andre Koch Torres Assis
Dr. Andre Koch Torres Assis, a physics professor from the University of Campinas in Brazil, dives into the captivating world of electrostatics. He showcases various hands-on experiments, including the famous levitation of a dandelion seed, illuminating the quirks of electric charge. Assis explores historical perspectives on electricity, debunking common misconceptions about conductors and insulators. His demonstrations reveal the complexities of static electricity and challenge existing theories, making the mysteries of electrical phenomena both accessible and entertaining.
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ANECDOTE

Recreating Plato’s Amber Demonstration

  • Andre Assis recreated Plato’s amber experiment using a modern plastic tube to show rubbed objects attract light bits of paper.
  • He explained the ancient interpretation: Plato thought moving air vortices, not direct attraction, caused the motion.
INSIGHT

Gilbert’s Versorium: The First Electric Tool

  • William Gilbert’s versorium was the first instrument designed to study electricity and is essentially an electric motor.
  • It allowed classification of materials as 'electric' (amber-like) or 'non-electric' based on whether they turned the versorium.
ANECDOTE

The Electric Pendulum Shows A-C-R

  • Andre demonstrated an electric pendulum where a paper disc first attracts then repels a rubbed plastic tube after contact.
  • He credited Charles Dufay (1733) for discovering attraction, contact, and repulsion (A-C-R) behavior.
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