John Carl Wilcke's Rug

Seen in Warehouse 13 episode "Regrets"

Origin
John Carl Wilcke was an eighteenth century scientist who pioneered study on the triboelectric effect or "Static Electricity". He found when two objects of particular compesition rubbed against each other, they could generate electrical energy to be conducted through a medium. Though the electricity was insufficiant to be of any use in most domestic cases, it could provide a sharp jolt to an unsuspecting victim.

Effects
When static is created using the rug, the electrical buildup is much greater that one would expect. A few seconds of friction can provide sufficient energy to power a light bulb for approximately two seconds. The more static generated, the stronger the effect.

A secondary effect is that whatever is causing the friction (usually a person) becomes a perfect conductor of the charge, allowing them to store and release enough energy to stun a human.

Felix's Notes
"Thanks to the 'enterprising efforts' of Agent Lattimer, I developed an interest in this artifact. Once I regained feeling in my arm, I procured it for testing and found that although the energy capable of being stored by a human is significant, attempting to take on too much can cause an overload of sorts in the nervous system. Once I woke up, I returned the rug to it's aisle and added a warning that I'm sure will go ignored."

Note: Recent tests with Galvani's Scalpel have got me thinking of an interesting way to make use of this. Will present proposal to Regents ASAP.