Panofsky's mysterious pressure produces a water bridge "defying"
gravity:

http://www.fmf.uni-lj.si/~podgornik/...ad/clanek2.pdf
J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys. 40 (2007) 6112-6114
The Floating Water Bridge, Elmar C. Fuchs et al.
"When high voltage is applied to distilled water filled into two glass
beakers which are in contact, a stable water connection forms
spontaneously, giving the impression of a floating water bridge."

Relevant quotations:

http://www.amazon.com/Introduction-E.../dp/0763738271
Introduction to Electromagnetic Theory: A Modern Perspective, Tai
Chow
p. 267: "Calculations of the forces between charged conductors
immersed in a liquid dielectric always show that the force is reduced
by the factor K. There is a tendency to think of this as representing
a reduction in the electrical forces between the charges on the
conductors, as though Coulomb's law for the interaction of two charges
should have the dielectric constant included in its denominator. This
is incorrect, however. The strictly electric forces between charges on
the conductors are not influenced by the presence of the dielectric
medium. The medium is polarized, however, and the interaction of the
electric field with the polarized medium results in an INCREASED FLUID
PRESSURE ON THE CONDUCTORS that reduces the net forces acting on
them."

http://www.amazon.com/Classical-Elec.../dp/0486439240
Classical Electricity and Magnetism: Second Edition (Dover Books on
Physics)
Wolfgang K. H. Panofsky, Melba Phillips
p. 114: "This means that if a system maintained at constant charge is
totally surrounded by a dielectric liquid all mechanical forces will
drop in the ratio 1/k. A factor 1/k is frequently included in the
expression for Coulomb's law to indicate this decrease in force. The
physical significance of this reduction of force, which is required by
energy considerations, is often somewhat mysterious. It is difficult
to see on the basis of a field theory why the interaction between two
charges should be dependent upon the nature or condition of the
intervening material, and therefore the inclusion of an extra factor 1/
k in Coulomb's law lacks a physical explanation"
p.115: "Therefore the decrease in force... cannot be explained by
electrical forces alone."
pp.115-116: "Thus the decrease in force that is experienced between
two charges when they are immersed in a dielectric liquid can be
understood only by considering the effect of the pressure of the
liquid on the charges themselves. In accordance with the philosophy of
the action-at-a-distance theory, no change in the purely electrical
interaction between the charges takes place."

Pentcho Valev