WHAT IS ELECTRICITY?

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 924, 18 March 1930, Page 11

WHAT IS ELECTRICITY?

AMERICA SUPPLIES NEW DEFINITION TRACED'! OF MAN WHO FORGO! While many of us are able to appre ciate the work that can be performed by electricity, few have a ready definition for this wonderful force; in fact, wo call to miud the student who. in reply to his Professor’s question “What is Electricity?" said that he had forgotten, thus calling forth the comment that here was a real tragedy, for the only man in the world who knew what electricity was. had forgotten the answer. From America, however, comes the news that at last a satisfactory definition has been found. “Electricity is something that start-' the Lord knows where and end 4 in the same place. It is l-36th of a second faster on its feet than its nearest competitor, backyard gossip, and when turned loose in Europe, will get to the United States five hours before it starts. Nobody knows exactl> what it is because it has never stood still long enough. “Electricity is sometimes known as science gone crazy with the heat, and if you can understand its manoeuvres, you can do anything with it except open a can of peanut butter at a picnic. “Electricity was locked up in ignor ance for centuries until Ben Franklin let it out with a pass key, and since then it has been pulling off more new stunts than a pet monkey. “With it you can start a conversation or stop one permanently, cook dinner, curl your hair, press your trousers, blow up a battleship, run an automobile, or signal Mars, and many more things are being invented!”