What impact can this have on how they work or on the circuitry inside the remote control itself?

These particular batteries have been in use for more than 12 months, so they may well be nearing the end of their useful lives.

Nia and Steven Faulder, by email, no address supplied

In common parlance, one would say the body 'burns' food, and, indeed, we are warm creatures due to some kind of exothermic reaction(s) inside us, yet our muscles and brain work on electrical impulse. Is this the most efficient conversion of heat to useful energy we know of, or is the electrical energy converted from chemical potential energy somewhere?

Lke the existence of chemical source of Direct Current, do we have chemical sources of Alternating Current? If there are such systems, what will be their unique applications? We have Oscillating chemical reactions which deal with varying factors. Similarly is it possible to have chemical source of Alternating current?

On a number of brush metal laptops/appliances if you run your finger lightly across the surface it creates a vibration sensation in your fingertip; this is not friction it is an actual vibration, I can categorically say that it is caused by some kind of electrical interaction is that the sensation only happens when your appliance is plugged into the AC power which suggest it is something to do with the frequency of AC power, but my question relates to the actual interaction between the metal surface and my finger, what is causing the feeling?

When I ride my bike underneath low slung power lines (large National Grid cables) nearby I get a shock from the handlebars. This only seems to happen if I'm moving.

I connected a digital voltmeter which recorded values up to and off the scale of its 600 volt limit (I have a short video of this). The other peculiar aspect (which I noticed on the video) was the the bike speedometer showed fluctuations from about 8 mph (around the true speed) to over 30. Any ideas about why these things should happen?

We took the single span cable car from Lake Skalnaté, at 1751m above sea level, to Lomnický štít which, at 2634m above seal level, is the second highest peak in the Tatra mountains.

The peak was covered in cloud with little wind. The air was highly charged with static, I could feel what hair I have standing up and my wife got shocks from the metal handrails that surround the narrow ridge.

Suddenly I felt a slight but definite slap on my head. I was taken by surprise and was wondering if I had been hit by a bird when, perhaps two seconds later, there was a crack of thunder. I had seen no flash when I felt the slap, but had been looking down at the time.

My wife did not notice the effect but felt it prior to a second thunder clap, I did not feel the effect the second time, the lightning was again unseen.

The sensation definitely felt like a physical contact and I firmly link it to the lightning.

What was it we experienced and how could it precede the sound?

I avoided holding the handrails, which were earthed, after hearing the thunder. Was I correct in assuming this would be safer than holding them?

Would the steel cable  to the ground over 883m below not have been very attractive to lightening and how would this have been protected against at the winding gear?

Regards

Hal

Hello,

Inquiry:

From my ancestors, story goes, that after a lightning storm, they would search for rocks from lightning strikes up in the mountains. These rocks, almost completely round, would be used as a health benefit. That is, they would be put in a glass of water, the rock would supposedly "fizz", and they would drink this as a health tonic.

Is there any substance to this, or is it an "old wives tale"?

Thank you,

Stergios Vlioras

P.O. Box 43055,

Burnaby, B.C.

V5G 4S2

ph# 778-837-3405

As back-up for my digital camera, I fully charged a set of AA nickel-metal hydride batteries, and carried them in a battery box with no chance of accidental connection. When I needed them some time later, they had completely discharged.

Do rechargeable batteries leak their charge over time? If so why, and how long does it take? For extra back-up, I now carry a set of ordinary alkaline AAs as well.Joseph Oldaker, Nuneaton, Warwickshire, UK