(E14) Early History of Electricity and Magnetism So far this
study has examined the flow of the "electric fluid," stressing
aspects relevant to everyday life. But long before people knew
of electrons and protons, they wondered--what did such a fluid
consist of? A flow through a pipe usually consists of water,
compressed air, hydraulic fluid, blood or some other fluid. What
kind of material flowed in an electric current? Not sure wht it
was, they named it electric charge. When electric charge is not
flowing but stands still, we call it "static electricity"
(static = not flowing). Static electricity was already known to
ancient Greek philosophers. Thales of Miletus, around 600 BC,
probably knew that amber--fossilized pine-sap, a plastic-like
non-conducting material--could attract light pieces of straw and
feather when lightly rubbed with dry cloth or fur (most modern
plastics also act that way--a plastic comb, for instance).
Around the year 1000 (or earlier, according to some sources) the
Chinese discovered ano