[pearoast] Does something good happen when you stick things in plugholes?
One Wednesday afternoon aged 5, I thought electrical wall sockets were mysterious. Things go in them and they can be turned on. Somehow, I had gotten hold of a piece of wire where both ends went into a headphone socket. Headphone plugs fit nicely inside Continental wall-sockets, so being both curious and under stimulated, I wondered what would happen if I stuck both ends into both holes of a plug.

I did just that. I created a blue spark which flew out, the ends melted slightly and the electricity in the house stopped working. Lacking in any knowledge of electrical engineering, I was unaware how just one tiny fuse had saved my life from 220 volts of electrifying goodness. But I had more immediate things to deal with - the wrath of my angry mother (although she may have been more glad I was still alive).

That night, we had our dinner by candlelight, as we couldn't get the lights back on. In fact, we enjoyed the candlelight dinner so much that we started a new tradition at our house - every Wednesday, we'd have dinner by candlelight.

So from that, we can learn that fuses are your best friends. And besides, as any regular reader of QOTW knows, there are better ways of spending a Wednesday afternoon (don't forget the candlelight dinner).

Length? About arm's length and slightly melted at the end.
( mistaspakkaman and the inedible shifting caterpillars, Thu 12 Feb 2009, 20:31, 1 reply)

Being a massive geek,
I was wiring plugs etc. properly when I was not much older.
( idonthaveafunnynickname Drink-Aware? Sure. I'm aware I want another drink., Thu 12 Feb 2009, 23:10, closed)