Posted by Roy L. Fuchs on 03/01/06 13:53

On Mon, 27 Feb 2006 15:53:58 -0600, Andrew Rossmann
<andysnewsreply@no_junk.comcast.net> Gave us:

>In article <1140967881.668004.37950@u72g2000cwu.googlegroups.com>,
>SiliconSam@gmail.com says...
>> Oh, come on... There is so much plastic surrounding the inner core
>> of metal in a pressed CD or DVD you'd have to have a buttload of static
>> to even reach the insides of the disc.
>
> Static electricity can act very weird. Just because there is a lot of
>plastic covering it doesn't mean anything. Depending on the humidty, air
>has a higher resistance than plastics. A spark can still jump THROUGH
>the plastic, through the reflective coating, and to a surface
>underneath.

Such a spark that could breech the dielectric strength of the
plastic would be a very high voltage spark. Not likely with normal
static charges carried around by folks.

> Also, remember that the reflective coating on a CD is up at
>the top surface and very vulnerable.

Disc damage on the print side of a CD is very easy to do as well.
It is easier to screw up a disc by scratching it on the top than it is
on the read side (bottom).

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