AHMEDABAD, NOV 16: Eureka! Amdavadis have found a new way to generate electricity, one that believers say can put the Ahmedabad Electricity Company (AEC) out of its job. It needs no power plants or expensive dams, all that is required is three people and a plastic moulded chair.This is how the `kissa kursi ka' goes - one person sits on the chair with legs folded to avoid earthing while the second person hits the back of the chair with a towel. The third person simply stands touching the person who is seated. As soon as the chair is hit with the towel, the third person feels a current running through his body. It makes an electric tester glow.This `magical phenomenon' - which has become as much of a rage as the milk-drinking Ganesha idols a few years ago - is believed to have been first chanced upon by a man living in the Teen Darwaja area who struck upon this in Prantij while attending a marriage. He then demonstrated the technique to an astonished group of people who passed it on to others.And the news spread like lightning. ``My brother demonstrated this to me at home. I came to the office and showed it to my colleagues who then demonstrated it to more people,'' says Suresh Patel, a designer and resident of Bapunagar.Sardarnagar resident Rajesh Bhojani added, ``This has become a pastime for us and we challenge each other on who can produce the most powerful current. We use a tester to check the flow and believe me it really glows.''This new mania has made instant scientists, philosophers and astrologers out of ordinary Amdawadis, with everyone coming up with their own theories. ``Why do we need those big dams to generate electricity? We already have this home-grown method, somebody should work on it'', declared Shaifu, a tea-stall owner. ``I heard some people say that this is a bad omen and current coming through bodies could mean our end is near,'' was housewife Sushilaben's fear.Then there are the lovey-dovey theories which say that ``if you like someone, then there will be a big spark with him It is a love testing formula.''Though hundreds of Amdavadis are busy trying out this experiment, there are people who point out that it is a simple phenomenon of static electricity. ``This simple phenomenon about which we learnt in our schools and basic science has these people wonder struck,'' exclaims Hitesh Shah, a science graduate.It's static electricityThe phenomenon that has mystified many in the city has a simple explanation. ``It is a simple principle of physics,'' says Dr V B Gohel, a physics professor. ``Static electricity are charges not in motion. Once you agitate them by causing friction, they can pass through a conductor. In this case, when a cloth is struck on the chair, there is friction, and the charges move through the body, which is a conductor while plastic is a non-conductor. Such examples abound- stroking a glass rod with a silk cloth produces an electric charge. In winter, when you comb your hair, the comb develops an electric charge and can attract bits of paper. It's that simple,'' explained Dr Gohel.
