A closer look
Forget modern batteries; the Victorians preferred to generate power by aggressively cranking handles. The Wimshurst machine features two counter-rotating disks with metal foils that don't actually touch. Instead, it exploits electrostatic induction. As the disks spin past each other, tiny charges exponentially multiply, moving through brushes and storing up in Leyden jars until the voltage is so obscenely high it bridges the gap and rips through the air as a massive spark. It’s pure, terrifying mechanical electricity.
