Word Association

Talking about monkeys always reminds me of diodes. You know, those little thingummies you put in a circuit to direct the flow of charge. Yup, the very same. But why this strange association, you ask? Well, allow me to explain.

A long time ago, when I was in my Freshman year (yes, that long ago), I was made to study Engineering Physics. A dastardly thing to do, one would imagine. But I was young and starry-eyed, and eager to learn. It was understandable. So, early one morning, I packed my books, picked up my bag, and trotted off to college with a spring in my step. Once in the class, I found myself a seat close to the first row, and got ready to garner all the pearls of wisdom I could lay my hands (or ears) upon.

The lecturer, a bald, portly fellow, strolled in leisurely twenty minutes late and immediately set about telling everyone how bloody brilliant he was. In fact, the only reason so many students failed in his class, we were told, was because they could not fully comprehend the man's brilliance. That, or they were plain blinded by it. After about fifteen minutes of this, he decided it was finally time to exhibit his prowess in the matters of the Physics.

What followed next, I quote verbatim. For his words are for ever indelibly engraved upon my brain. The great man opened his book, closed his eyes, took a deep breath and began:

My friends, electrons are like small monkey childs. Just like small monkey childs, they are very naughty. They keep jumping from one place to another. But, when you place a wall in front of the monkey childs, they cannot jump over the wall. Similarly, when you place a diode in front of electrons, they cannot jump from one part of the circuit to another. Therefore, just like the wall stops the monkey childs from jumping, the diode stops the electrons from getting across.

That, my friends, concludes our discussion on diodes. Next week, we will study transistors.

(Stunned silence)

To this day, I swear, whenever someone shows me a circuit diagram, all I can see are monkey childs. Naughty little monkey childs that keep jumping from one place to another.