Charged

The Unexpected Role of Electricity
in the Workings of Nature

by Gerald H. Pollack

From the author of The Fourth Phase of Water

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Gerald Pollack on Charged…

Discover the revolutionary concepts behind his research.

Gerald Pollack’s groundbreaking new book explores the fundamental role of electrical forces in nature. Building on his revolutionary discoveries about water, Pollack reveals how electricity powers life and the natural world.

Explore topics covered in Charged

Section I

The Charged Earth

This section deals with the charged Earth. Most of us are unaware that the Earth is anything but a bland, rotating, neutral blob. It’s negatively charged and that charge has consequences whose nature begins to be explored.

Section II

Earth Centered Dynamics

The consequences of earthly charge are profound. Here the author deals with specific consequences, including the origin of earth’s magnetic field, what propels the earth to rotate every 24 hours, and the origin of earthly wind.

Section III

Weather

Section III turns to weather. It attempts to build a paradigm of understanding using logic, experimental observation, and simple physical principles. Electrical charge plays a dominant role. The goal is to develop an accessible understanding of why it might rain, why a gentle rainfall can sometimes evolve into a terrible typhoon, and why a twister can lift a school bus.

Section IV

Gravitation

Gravitation is a force we experience relentlessly, but do we really comprehend its underlying nature? We understand that masses attract, but don’t know why. We also cannot explain anomalies such as why gravitation is weaker in some areas than others, why it’s stronger in summer than in winter, and why it changes during an eclipse. These anomalies potentially fit within a paradigm that emphasizes not the masses per se, but the electrical charges lying within those masses.

Section V

Learning to Fly

Lift entails a battle against gravitation. It’s not just birds and planes that wage this battle, but also non-winged matter including dust. Could a common principle account for that lift? Pollack reminds us that matter moving through the air acquires negative charge, and that charge repels the negative charge of the earth. Such repulsion may play a dominant role in keeping items aloft, from gliders to frisbees.

Section VI

Moving Ahead

The focus here is on forward motion. While the previous section deals with forward motion in birds and planes, here the focus shifts to entities confined to the earth: fish, and sailboats. Both can press forward against swift current or swift wind. Such feats would seem to defy Newton. In surprisingly straightforward ways, however, the author shows how electrical forces may directly produce robust forward propulsion.

Section VII

Summing Up: Unlocking Nature’s Mysteries

In accounting for the natural processes described in the book, the author offered certain electrical phenomena well recognized but not widely applied. Those processes are summarized here. The suggestion is made that they may enjoy unexpectedly broad application throughout science and technology. Pollack goes on to detail the reasons why more generally, unconventional concepts often encounter resistance, limiting the progress of fundamental science.

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What keeps the atmosphere from blowing off the Earth?

Attraction. The Earth is negatively charged while the atmosphere is positively charged. So they attract (Chapter 3).

What makes the wind blow?

Any spatial difference in local atmospheric charge will tend to even out. The resulting flow is what we call “wind” (Chapter 4).

What keeps the Earth spinning regularly, once every 24 hours?

The prevailing westerly wind pushes on projecting mountain peaks, driving the planet to rotate (Chapter 6).

When does a cloud “decide” to rain?

The clouds’ negative charge induces positive charge on the earth immediately below. That creates attraction. When great enough, the attractive force pulls droplets down from the cloud. That’s rain (Chapter 8).

How does a multi-ton cloud float?

The cloud bears negative charge and so does the earth. So, they repel (Chapter 8).

What role does electricity play in weather?

Electrical forces play a central role in every aspect, from evaporation, to cloud formation, to precipitation. Even hurricanes and tornadoes gain their strength from electrical forces (Chapter 10).

Why do all planets revolve in virtually the same plane?

Emanating from the sun, the sheet-like, positively charged solar wind captures the negatively charged planets, constraining them to a single plane (Chapter 13).

How can insects fly straight up?

Flapping wings create negative electrical charge. Negative charge repels the earth’s negative charge, propelling the insect upward (Chapter 16).

How can sailboats proceed almost directly into the wind?

Iceboats – sailboats sliding on ice – do exactly that. They sail almost directly into the apparent wind. According to Newton, that should be impossible. However, sails acquire charge as they move, and that charge interacts with the earth’s electric field to produce forward force. Speeds of 100 miles per hour are not unusual. Hold your hat! (Chapter 17).

How can fish swim upstream without tail flapping?

Fish dart forward by expelling charged water backward from their gill slits (Chapter 18).

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Award-Winning Author

Recognized internationally for groundbreaking research and scientific communication

2014

International Summit Excellence Award

Society of Technical Communication

For outstanding achievement in communicating complex scientific concepts to the public

2012

Outstanding Scientific Achievement

International Society for Water Research

For pioneering discoveries in water structure and properties

2010

Lifetime Achievement Award

Bioelectrochemical Society

For contributions to understanding electrical properties in biological systems

Dr. Gerald Pollack is a professor of bioengineering at the University of Washington and the founding editor-in-chief of the journal WATER. His research on water has revolutionized our understanding of this fundamental substance.

Pollack’s ability to bridge the gap between complex scientific concepts and public understanding has earned him numerous accolades and speaking engagements worldwide.