This novelty bulb operates on a charge difference produced between the central "filament" (here something more substantial, to withstand repeated whacks) and the outer glass wall. Within the bulb is a small plastic bug. It is attracted to the charged "filament", then repelled to fly into the glass interior of the bulb, then attracted back to the filament. The bug thus bounces madly about inside the bulb, to the amusement of all.
-- bungston, May 08 2009

Completely unrelated - Borate_20Bouncing_20Bettys
but we support alliteration. [normzone, May 08 2009]

No not amusing at all. Why are you being so mean bungie?
-- blissmiss, May 08 2009


+ oh yes it is! you can drive other bugs nuts with it!
-- xandram, May 08 2009


One would not necessarily need to have it be a bug. It could be a skull, a small flying saucer, an eyeball, a die (or two!), a pinball etc. A comet might be cool because one could have a thread as the tail, which would exhibit its own charged behavior. Or a spider with 6 wiggly leglets!

"Bouncing Bug" was chosen for alliterative qualities.
-- bungston, May 08 2009


I like the idea but (a) does the filament develop a net charge, given that it's connected by wires to the rest of the world and (b) what stops the bug from melting on the filament?
-- MaxwellBuchanan, May 08 2009


sp. 8 wiggly leglets
-- pertinax, May 09 2009


[blissmiss], bearing in mind that the bug is plastic, not real, to whom is this mean?
-- pertinax, May 09 2009


I think it encourages the torturing of the poor little buggies. Next you'll be holding their little heads under the water faucet and trying to get them to rat out their friends. Sort of like waterbug-waterboarding.
-- blissmiss, May 09 2009



random, halfbakery