For some Friday fun - Fat Electrons

[Falcon67]

As a long time computer guy, I've known about the Jargon file for ages. I ran across a reference today and noted that this particular explanation of strange behavior could be applied in places other than computers. If confronted with a query about a strange electrical issue and you have no ready explanation, maybe this

fat electrons: n. Old-time hacker David Cargill's theory on the causation of computer glitches. Your typical electric utility draws its line current out of the big generators with a pair of coil taps located near the top of the dynamo. When the normal tap brushes get dirty, they take them off line to clean them up, and use special auxiliary taps on the bottom of the coil. Now, this is a problem, because when they do that they get not ordinary or ‘thin’ electrons, but the fat'n'sloppy electrons that are heavier and so settle to the bottom of the generator. These flow down ordinary wires just fine, but when they have to turn a sharp corner (as in an integrated-circuit via), they're apt to get stuck. This is what causes computer glitches.

 

[BigGMC]

Funny.
Reminds me of a tongue-and-cheek article I have at work that talks about the early ages of electricity and some simple principals of power flow. The article goes on to say that the power companies were so smart they invented meters whereby they could bill the customer for power "recieved" - not really "used" since current always returns to it's source. They've been selling the same power over and over to unsuspecting customers since the beginning!

 

[Steevo]

I like it.

The friction they cause by scraping their fat selves along the sides of the circuits is probably what creates heat and lets the smoke out, too.

The fat electron debate reminds me of a lunchtime discussion we used to have about the length of an Ethernet packet. Not length as in bytes, but length in feet between preamble and checksum, and the relationship between that length and LAN speed.

 

[BigGMC]

....... and LAN speed.

and that reminded me of the older guy at work who thought "LAN" was actually "LAND"..... so he'd reply to me that the files were saved to the LAND and I could go copy them.
So, being the professional smartass I am, I asked which LAND did he save them to. He asks whaddya mean which one?
I point to his desk and sing "This LAND is your land, (pointing at my desk) this LAND is my land!